Dwarf Chinkapin Oak
Quercus prinoides
A full oak's ecological weight in a three-to-six-foot shrub: caterpillar host, sweet acorns for jays and squirrels, fits tight rocky spots.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The oak for people who don't have room for an oak. shrub-sized, drought tolerant, and full of acorns for every wildlife category.
Dwarf chinkapin oak is the oak that fits on a patio slope. At three to six feet, it keeps all the ecological weight of a full-sized oak, host plant for hundreds of caterpillar species, acorn production for deer and birds, canopy insects for nesting birds, in a shrub-sized package that works in tight spaces, on rocky outcrops, and at the edge of naturalized plantings. Wavy-edged leaves echo the full-sized chinkapin oak's distinctive shape. Acorns are sweet and smaller than most oaks, taken quickly by blue jays, squirrels, and woodpeckers. This is one of the most wildlife-dense small shrubs in the Eastern native plant palette, and one of the most underplanted. Every dry, rocky, sunny spot in a wildlife garden should consider this species first.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown dwarf chinkapin oak propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 3–6 ft · 36–72 in wide
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America
Care notes for dwarf chinkapin oak.
Full sun, dry to average sandy or rocky soil. Very drought tolerant once established. Spreads by root suckering to form thickets over time. excellent for dry hillside stabilization. No pruning needed. No fertilizing required. Extremely tough and self-sufficient.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside dwarf chinkapin oak.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.