Quercus prinus: Chestnut Oak: ENH-715/ST557, 2/2014

Abstract

Chestnut Oak is a deciduous, native tree which reaches 50 to 60 feet in height with an equal spread when grown in the open. It is capable of reaching to 100 feet in the woods. The glossy, green, four to eight-inch-long by 1.5 to 3-inch-wide leaves turn to yellow-brown or red-brown in fall before dropping. The large, 1.5-inch-long acorns which fall in October are particularly sweet-tasting, and are relished by many forms of wildlife, such as the grey squirrel, black bear, and white-tailed deer. The attractive dark brown to black bark is deeply ridged and furrowed. Original publication date November 1993.