Minerva Flora October Update

For October, we’ll visit one of my favorite trees in Minerva Park. Follow the blacktop path through the green space heading east from the spillway, just east of the trail that leads up to Quiet Brook Vale, on the left stands a spectacular Chinquapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii).

Quercus muehlenbergii is a medium to tall white oak which can reach 60-80 ft and has a broad, open canopy. It is native to the eastern U.S. and likes alkaline soil, but will tolerate soil that is moist and well drained. It tends to stand alone rather than a copse of many. 

The bark is light gray and thin with plate-like scales.  The leaves are 4-8” long and 1-3” wide, glossy green, darker on the top than the back and have sharply toothed edges with no bristle tips, much like the leaf of a Chestnut. The acorns are small, light to dark brown with a bowl-shaped cap and sweet tasting.

Oaks are known as a ‘keystone species’, which means they have a disproportionately large impact on the ecosystem. The removal of a keystone species can dramatically alter the balance of said ecosystem and cannot be replaced by different species. 

An amazing 400-500+ species of caterpillars are found on the Chinquapin Oak. Countless birds eat the caterpillars and various wildlife enjoy the sweet acorns.  Pollinators feed from the flowers.  At one time medicinally important as well as a food source for Native Americans.

To close, a Chinquapin Oak would be a great addition to any yard, providing there is room for it!