The dwarf chinkapin oak, Quercus prinoides, is a small, shrub type oak that is an excellent choice for people who do not have space in their yard to safely plant a larger oak species. These pint-sized white oaks have the keystone attributes that make the oaks pollinator and wildlife powerhouses, at a size that accommodates a wide range of properties. A huge bonus of the dwarf chinkapin oak is that it tends to begin producing acorns at an early age, usually within 3-5 years!

Hope you enjoy it!

Let me know what you think, thanks! Anthony

Interesting as always.
I believe that crown thing was from an old Imperial Margarine commercial.

Love your videos,,

Here on Long Island we have what we call scrub oaks that grow in the pine barrens. These areas are pretty much sandy outwash plains with pitch pines and these scrub oaks, some areas have more dwarfish sized species, whether it's the poorer soil or not I don't know, However these small oaks aren't dwarf chinkapins, If I recollect right they're mostly a white oak variety, but I'm sure there's a red oak variety also...

So,, any idea what types these scrub and dwark oaks are? I believe they are separate varieties, not just short due to soil conditions, the acorns are also quite small, Thanks .

Thanks gcs!

The only scrub oaks I know of in that area are dwarf chinkapin and bear oak (in the red oak group), Quercus ilicifolia, both of which occur in the barrens, along with scarlet oak which may grow smaller in those conditions and has small acorns even under great conditions. The dwarf chinkapin is in the white oak group and its leaves can be quite variable.

The characteristic tree species of the pine barrens in NY are listed as pitch pine, quaking aspen, scarlet oak, and the two larger common shrubs are dwarf chinkapin and bear oak. The few other native scrub/shrub oaks to eastern north America are well south of Long Island. Could have been stunted tree form oaks of species less common in the barrens.

Thanks BigBob!

The imperial may have started there but it is not where I learned it from.

Very informative once again, Anthony. Thank you.

I have germinated and grown Dwarf Chinkapin Oaks a couple of times. They do seem to grow pretty fast and will produce by 3-4 years old. I have some that I just sprouted again last year and planted on the new farm. The problem is deer tend to hammer them foilage and acorns so it is tough to get them to outgrow the deer pressure.

Thanks Anthony, I'm glad you mentioned the leaf variability as I don't recall them looking like the leaves in your video, so they probably are the d,chinkapins.... I appreciate the info, I guess I need to go take a close look when they start leafing out, it's been some years since I waded through that stuff....

NEYotetrapper - I have been trying to find some DCO in KY with zero luck. There are herbarium specimens from around my area but I have never seen one. I think a lot of the woods got too mature for them to survive and the ones in the open where killed for pasture and ag fields. Deer do love them, and all white oaks really - acorns and browse. We barely have white oak regen here in KY due to the super high deer density.

Sharon - Thanks!

gcs - If you go look this spring post some pics of them. The DCO and the bear oak have similar leaves, but the bear oak has bristles at the tips of the lobes like all red oaks.

Thanks everyone who gave it a watch!