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, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 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.
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