Hardy Planting Zone – The chestnut oak tree grows well in the USDA - Zones 3 through 9, covering a large portion of the United States.
Bloom Season – Chestnut oaks will bloom in early to mid-May, depending on the weather conditions. It can be one of the earliest trees to bloom during the spring.
Bloom Color – Long chestnut-shaped leaves that start pink to silvery becoming a dark green for the summer. Male flowers are yellow-green, about 2" to 4" long. Female flowers are reddish and appear along with the leaves in mid-spring.
Height at Maturity – A chestnut oak will grow to a height of 60' to 70'.
Soil Type Preferred – They prefer well-drained acidic soil, but they can tolerate some alkalinity in the soil. Chestnut oaks are tolerant of drought conditions, but they do not like poorly drained soils.
Sun or Shade – They do best with 6 hours of direct sunlight each day and partial shade the rest of the time.
Chestnut oak trees are popular shade trees for large areas spread at 60' to 70'.
They are great for large yards and parks. During the fall, chestnut oak leaves can range from a beautiful red, orange, or yellowish-brown.
They do produce fruit in the form of acorns.
The acorns are 1 to 1.5 inches long and separate from the cap when they mature. The acorns ripen during the fall. Raw acorns are not to be eaten by humans but can be cooked appropriately to remove the toxic tannins and are quite healthy.
When choosing a spot to plant this big tree, make sure there will always be plenty of room. They do not like to be moved or transplanted because they have a deep taproot.
