Chestnut Oak

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

50 - 70 Feet

Mature Spread

50 - 70 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 8

Are you looking for a tall shade tree to add to a large landscape? Chestnut Oak, also known as Quercus Montana, is a deciduous tree, growing to heights of 50-70 feet. Bred by American Beauties Native Plants, it features elongated oval foliage, providing interest from spring until fall as its greenish hue changes to auburn, claret, and gold in the fall. Chartreuse catkins appear followed by one-inch acorns that are beloved by animals including deer. Its unusual wrinkled bark resembles a chestnut tree.

A native of mountainsides in the eastern section of the United States, Chestnut Oak tolerates rocky, poor soil. It is cold hardy in zones 4-8. Plant this slow-growing, low-maintenance tree as a specimen in a shade garden or along a street. Songbirds will flock to its branches and mice will scurry around its trunk, foraging its acorns. 

Chestnut Oak Care

Chestnut Oak tolerates various soil types, including nutrient-deficient soil. Plant in a hole about the size of the root ball in full sun in well-draining, acidic soil. If the soil does not drain well, improve it by adding compost. Wrap the trunk with a tree guard to protect against deer rubbing the bark, and mulch with shredded leaves. Do not fertilize.

Prune young Chestnut Oak during late winter to encourage good health and a balanced shape. Remove dead, diseased, damaged, and crossed branches. Use the three-cut method when trimming limbs: 1) About 2 inches from the branch collar, make a shallow cut upward on the branch’s underside. 2) Trim the stem a few inches farther from the first cut by making another cut downward on the branch’s top. 3) Finally, remove the tree’s stub by making a final cut closer to the tree’s collar. This three-cut method will help prevent the tree’s bark from accidentally ripping. 

Chestnut Oak Spacing

Space Chestnut Oak trees 50-70 feet apart, 30-50 feet away from foundations, and 50 feet from overhead power lines. 

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