Virginia Tech Dendrology

dwarf chinquapin oak Fagaceae Quercus prinoides Willd. symbol: QUPR
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, obovate or oblong, large coarse gland tipped teeth on margin, 2 to 6 inches long, dark, shiny green above, much paler below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; male flowers are yellow-green long catkins (to 2 1/2 inches long); females are green to reddish, very small in leaf axils, appearing with the leaves.
Fruit: Acorn, nut 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, broadest below the middle, thin bowl-shaped cap covers about 1/2 of acorn and forms a tattered fringe on the margin of cap, dark brown when mature.
Twig: Slender to moderate, orange-brown, buds cluster at branch tips, terminal buds 1/8 inch long, rounded, chestnut brown, individual scales with frosted edges.
Bark: Thin, light gray, rough and flaky.
Form: A suckering shrub or a small tree to 12 (may reach 20) feet, with an irregular crown.
Looks like: chestnut oak - chinkapin oak

Additional Range Information: Quercus prinoides is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information