Dwarf Chinkapin Oak

Quercus prinoides

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.