Virginia Tech Dendrology

chinkapin oak Fagaceae Quercus muehlenbergii Engelm. symbol: QUMU
Leaf: Alternate, simple, obovate or oblong, large coarse gland tipped teeth on margin, 4 to 7 inches long, dark, shiny green above, much paler below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; male flowers are yellow-green long catkins (3 to 4 inches long); females are green to reddish, very small in leaf axils, appearing with the leaves.
Fruit: Acorn, nut 1/2 to 1 inch long, broadest below the middle, thin bowl-shaped cap covers about 1/3 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, pointed, chestnut brown, individual scales with frosted edges.
Bark: Thin, light gray, rough and flaky.
Form: Medium sized tree to 60 feet, with a rounded crown.
Looks like: chestnut oak - swamp white oak - swamp chestnut oak - dwarf chinquapin oak

Additional Range Information: Quercus muehlenbergii is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2025 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