Chestnut Oak

Quercus prinus

leaves Habitat:Northern hardwood forests; prefers dry soils.

acorns Characteristics: Trees attain a height of 60-70 feet, though taller trees are sometimes encountered. The trunks of mature trees are 3-4 feet in diameter; the leaves have either rounded or sharp teeth and are 4 to 9 inches long. The leaves are dull orange in autumn.

The strong, durable wood of the better-formed trees has the same uses as that of other oaks. The bark is rich in tannic acid, and was once collected for use in tanning leather.

barkThis is occasionally a very long-lived tree. The famous Washington Oak, an exceptionally large chestnut oak which grew on the east bank of the Hudson River in New York, is estimated to have been 800 to 1,000 years old.


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Identify Another Tree

This key was developed by "bt" in June 1982. It was put into HTML format by Stephen Ostermiller in July 1997. Copies of the entire guide in zip format that may be taken to camp on a laptop are available to those who write.