Quercus prinoides

Quercus prinoides, commonly known as dwarf chinkapin (also spelled "chinquapin") oak, dwarf chestnut oak or scrub chestnut oak, is a native of eastern North America, ranging from Massachusetts to Minnesota in the north and North Carolina to Oklahoma in the south. It also occurs in the Carolinian forest zone of southern Ontario.

As suggested by its botanical species name, dwarf chinkapin oak resembles chestnut oak (Quercus prinus). However, it is more closely related to chinkapin oak (Quercus muhlenbergii). Indeed, the two are sometimes considered as conspecific, in which case the larger chinkapin oak is classed as a variety of Quercus prinoides because the dwarf form was described first. The two may be disguished by differences in habit (the smaller proportions of dwarf chinkapin oak, even when grown on rich soils) and habitat (the chinkapin oak is typically found on rocky, calcareous sites while dwarf chinkapin oak is more typically found on dry, often acidic, sandy soils).

It is a large, spreading, deciduous shrub or very small tree that typically only grows to 4-6 m tall and 4-6 m wide . The leaves of dwarf chinkapin oak closely resemble those of chinkapin oak, although smaller: 5-15 cm long, compared to 10-18 cm long for chinkapin oak. The acorns are 15-25 cm long with the cup enclosing about half of the acorn.

Ecology and Uses

The acorns of dwarf chinkapin are sweet tasting and relished by humans and many wildlife species. The wood has little commercial value because of its small size.