Chestnut Oak
Quercus prinus L.
Also known as Rock Oak or Tanbark Oak.
Mature Size: 50 to 70 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter.
Form: Crooked trunk and irregular crown on dry ridge tops; straight trunk and narrow crown on better sites.
Habitat: Common on dry, rocky slopes and ridges, but attains best growth in well- drained coves and stream sides.
Leaves
Alternate, simple, 4 to 8 inches long, roughly oval but often wider near the tip, edges with large rounded teeth.
Flowers
Males yellow-green, in 2 to 4 inch hanging catkins; females reddish, in spikes; both appearing with the leaves.
Fruit
Shiny, oval acorn, 1 to 1½ inches long, maturing in one season; cap scaly, teacup-like, with thin edges, separating from acorn when mature.
Bark
Gray-brown to brown; on young trees, very smooth; on older trees, thick and deeply divided into broad, rounded or flat-topped ridges, somewhat resembling the back of an alligator.
Twigs
Medium textured, hairless, orange-brown or grayish; clustered end buds chestnut brown, long, pointed and narrowly cone-shaped.
Values and Uses
The wood is heavy, hard, strong and resistant to decay. It is similar to, and often marketed as, white oak, and is used for lumber, beams, railroad ties, flooring, furniture and planking. The large acorns are sweet and are eaten by a variety of wildlife, although good acorn crops are infrequent.
Did You Know?
The bark of this tree was once used for tanning leather. The species takes its common name from American chestnut, which has somewhat similar leaves.
