chestnut oak
Quercus prinus
Chestnut oak is common in the Appalachian mountains and nearby regions, often found growing on dry, rocky, infertile slopes and ridges. The lumber of chestnut oak is sold and used as white oak. Acorns are eaten by a variety of wildlife species.
Fall
Color.
Chestnut oak is used for construction lumber, beams, railroad ties, flooring, furniture, planking, etc.
Large acorns are a nutritious part of many animal diets.
Chestnut oak's intermediate shade tolerance and slow growth rate allow for regeneration by shelterwood and group selection methods. It competes best on sites of intermediate to poor quality.
Fun facts
Chestnut oak gets its common name from the wavy margin of its leaves: in bygone times people with poor eyesight or rudimentary glasses likened the leaves to those of American chestnut.Quercus
Latin name.
prinus
perhaps a variation of "primus" (first) or Greek "prinos" (evergreen tree).
2004 Virginia
Tech Forestry Department, all rights reserved. Text, images, and programming
by: Dr. Jeff Kirwan, Dr. John R. Seiler, John A. Peterson, Edward C. Jensen,
Guy Phillips, or Andrew
S. Meeks.
questions, comments, and criticisms: email John.Peterson@vt.edu