LeavesChestnut
Chinquapin
Castanea pumila
$6.00per seedling
In stock this season
Sold in groups of 10 — online orders are limited to 1,000 seedlings total.
Quick facts
- Mature size
- — 10–30 ft tall · 15–30 ft wide
- Growth speed
- — Medium — 1–2 ft of new growth a year
- Sunlight
- — Full sun (6+ hrs direct sun) · Part shade (4–6 hrs)
- Soil
- — Dry / well-drained
- Good for
- — Reforestation & timber · Wildlife food & habitat · Erosion control
- Wildlife
- — Small, sweet nuts favored by squirrels, chipmunks, deer, and grouse.
About this species
Chinquapin is a small, shrubby tree native to the eastern United States, valued for its sweet, edible nuts and its role in supporting wildlife. It typically grows in dry, well-drained soils and is often found on slopes, ridges, and open woodlands. The plant produces creamy white flowers in early summer, followed by spiny burs that contain one shiny brown nut each. Allegheny chinquapin is an important food source for birds, small mammals, and pollinators, and its ability to thrive in challenging sites makes it a resilient option for habitat restoration and native plantings.
Planting notes
Choose well-drained, acidic soils.