Quercus muehlenbergii #5 (Chinkapin Oak)

Chinkapin Oak is a medium-sized native shade tree in the White Oak group. It typically grows on dry limestone outcrops, but will grow faster and larger on deep, moist, well-drained sites. The growth rate is moderately fast for an oak, capable of reaching a maximum of 30′ in 20 years but slowing down with age. The open, rounded crown of a mature Chinkapin Oak tends to be slightly wider than it is tall. The long, thin leaves resemble the closely related Chestnut Oak. It is a lovely and adaptable tree for residential landscapes.

Oaks are an ecological keystone genus which is invaluable to the food web and life cycles of insects, birds and other wild creatures. They are host to some 436 species of Lepidoptera, at the very top of the list for our ecoregion. Innumerable bird species rely on Oaks for their bounty of caterpillars and other insects, making them living birdfeeders. Oaks also provide cover, cavities for dens,  roosts, and nesting sites. The acorns, especially those of the White Oak group, are a necessary food supply for birds and mammals alike. Deer and rabbits do tend to browse or strip the bark of young oaks, so protection (especially through winter) is highly advised.

Sources:
Native Trees, Shrubs, & Vines by William Cullina
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Illinois Wildflowers

Photo Credits:
Mature Individual: Bruce Kirchoff from Greensboro, NC, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Leaf Detail: Bruce Kirchoff from Greensboro, NC, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
“Sacred Oak” of Olen Valley, PA: Marty Aligata, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons