PLANT NATIVE

Chinkapin oak, Quercus muehlenbergii

Height: 50-60’

Spread: 40-50’

Sun: Full sun

Water: Dry to medium

Though typically found in the wild in dry rocky soils, chinkapin oak performs best when planted in fertile, cultivated soils; once established, it is very drought-tolerant. It can handle alkaline soils and will grow rapidly, for an oak, under cultivation. It’s in the white oak family and occurs naturally in southeastern Nebraska, growing on the loess bluffs of the Missouri River and rocky outcroppings in nearby counties. The handsome, sharp-toothed leaves look similar to those of chestnut and are dark green with a whitish cast below. The light yellow fall color is accented by bright ashy-gray bark and the gnarly branching pattern on picturesque old specimens. It’s an outstanding shade tree for wildlife, producing an abundance of small, nutritious acorns that may form on trees just a few years old. Chinkapin oak is a recommended Tree of the Year for the GreatPlants for the Great Plains program.

* Native plant recommendations from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, plantnebraska.org