Yellow Chestnut Oak
Quercus muhlenbergii Engelm
By Egypt Crider
06/23/10
Elective Science
Classification
 Kingdom: Plantae (Plants)
 Division: Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
 Class: Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledon)
 Order: Fagales (Flowering plants)
 Family: Fagaceae (Beech Family)
 Genus: Quercus (Oak)
 Species: Quercus muehlenbergii Engelm (Yellow Chestnut Oak)
 Also know as Chinkapin Oak and Chinquapin Oak
Shape, Form, and Type
 The Yellow Chestnut is a type of Deciduous tree
 Member of the Beech family
 Can grow anywhere from 70 to 80 feet in the wild
 It’s crown is narrow, rounded and spreads out over a fairly
large range
Figure 1:Yellow Chestnut Form
Bark
 Thin
 Flaky and coarse to the
touch
 Light gray in color
 Breaks into narrow strips
 Similar to white oak bark
Figure 2:Yellow Chestnut Bark
Twig and Leaf
 Twig
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Slender
Orange brown color
Start out green-red
Buds cluster at branch tips
 Leaf
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Figure 3: Leaves
Simple
Alternate on branch
Oblong in shape
Gland tipped teeth
4 – 7 inches in length
Dark green and shiny above
Paler green below
Figure 4:Twig
Bud, Flower, and Fruit
 Bud
 1/8 inch long
 Pointed and cone shaped
 Chestnut brown color
 Frosted edges with individual scales
 Flower
 Males:Yellow-green hanging catkins, about 3 to 4 inches long
 Females: Can vary from green to red, small in leaf axils
 Found on the same tree
 Fruit
 Acorns found either lone or in pairs
 ½ covered by the cap
 Brown to nearly black
 Found on a short stalk
Figure 6: YCO Flower
Figure 5:Yellow
Chestnut Oak Buds
Figure 7:Yellow Chestnut Oak
Fruit
Habitat and Range
 The Yellow Chestnut Oak is mainly found in places with low
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slopes
Wooded hills
Dry cliffs
Grows in alkaline soils and in well drained slopes of uplands
The range includes Vermont and stretches across to
Minnesota, eastern Nebraska to eastern Texas and northern
Florida
Also found in Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio
Figure 8: Range of Yellow Chestnut Oak
Uses
 Used primarily for railroad ties
 Fence posts
 Fuel
 The sweet acorns are a food source for the wildlife and even
humans
Figure 10:Wood Fire
Figure 9: Railroad Ties
Figure 11: Squirrel
Eating
References (Text)

2010. Quercus muehlenbergii (Yellow Chestnut Oak). Date Retrieved-06/24/10
http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_240c.html

2010. Quercus muehlenbergii Fact Sheet. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=244

2010. Chinkapin Oak. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://www.mtzion.k12.il.us/tree/C%20Oak.html

2010. Quercus muehlenbergii Fact Sheet. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=244

2010. Quercus muehlenbergii. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinquapin_oak

1996. Forest Trees of Illinois by Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Forest Resources. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10

2010. Quercus muehlenbergii Englem. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/quercus/muehlenbergii.htm
References (Pictures)
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Figure 1: Yellow Chestnut Form. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://porkyfarm.com/images/Quercus%20muehlenbergii%20%201.jpg
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Figure 2: Yellow Chestnut Bark. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/biohires/q/hqumu--brlarge-tree12319.JPG
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Figure 3: Leaves. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://porkyfarm.com/images/Quercus%20muehlenbergii%20%207.jpg
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Figure 4: Twig. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://www.mtzion.k12.il.us/tree/C%20Oak.html
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Figure 5: Yellow Chestnut Oak Buds. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=244
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Figure 6: YCO Flower. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://www.discoverlife.org/IM/I_SB/0193/320/Quercus_muehlenbergii,Flower,I_SB19371.jpg
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Figure 7: Yellow Chestnut Oak Fruit. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/biohires/q/hqumu--fr16094.JPG
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Figure 8: Range of Yellow Chestnut Oak. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Quercus_muehlenbergii_map.png
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Figure 9: Railroad Ties. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://www.therockpile.net/myphotos/67%20-%20railroad%20ties.jpg
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Figure 10: Wood fire. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10
http://www.filetransit.com/images/screen/2e7d4a700524959cd010fb0dca6c360b_Fireplace_3D_Screensaver.jpg
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Figure 11. Squirrel Eating. Date Retrieved- 06/24/10 http://images.mooseyscountrygarden.com/uk-gardens/st-giles-churchyard/squirrels-andsnowdrops/autumn-squirrel-eating.jpg