Chinquapin Oak

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Quercus is the top-ranked keystone genus in eastern North America, supporting 401 lepidoptera species in Ecoregion 8. Chinquapin oak contributes mast and larval host resources within calcareous upland forests where it co-occurs with other white oaks, amplifying guild-level caterpillar biomass critical for breeding bird populations.
S13 401 lepidoptera species; S41 associated with white oak-dominated stands
🐛 Larval Host: Acronicta retardata, Dryocampa rubicunda, Furcula borealis, Haploa clymene, Hypercompe scribonia, Limenitis archippus, Ceratomia amyntor, Lochmaeus manteo, Orgyia definita, Acronicta interrupta, Limenitis arthemis, Papilio glaucus, Acronicta funeralis, Callosamia promethea, Campaea perlata
S13+S15 15 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Acorns ripen September-October and are consumed by Blue Jay, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse, Red-headed Woodpecker, Wood Duck, Common Grackle, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak among 24 bird species documented feeding on Quercus mast. Squirrels, mice, voles, chipmunks, and deer also rely on acorns. The sweet, low-tannin acorns are especially palatable and are taken from tree or ground, though scattered distribution limits per-tree food contribution.
S57 24 bird species; S41 eaten by squirrels, mice, voles, chipmunks, deer, turkey, and other birds

Proximity Score: 2
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: SE
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.7 – Northeastern Coastal Zone
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and nationally apparently secure in Canada (N4). Ranked S4 in Ontario where populations concentrate on limestone substrates in the Kingston-Prince Edward County region and southwestern Ontario. Not ranked in Quebec as VASCAN does not list the species as native to the province. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC.
S22 G5, N4, S4-ON; S1 ON-only distribution; S26 not SARA listed
Rarity Ranks: ON S4 – Apparently Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Chinquapin oak is a calciphile of well-drained limestone uplands, favouring warm south-facing slopes where soils are weakly acid to alkaline (pH 6.5-8.0). It occurs as scattered individuals within white oak-black oak-northern red oak forests, often with sugar maple, hickories, basswood, and eastern redcedar on calcareous substrates. In Ontario it reaches its northern limit in the Kingston-Prince Edward County limestone plain, where it grows on thin soils over exposed bedrock in oak-juniper savannah and dry gravelly woods along escarpments.
S41 limestone uplands, pH, associated species; S48 ON specimens from Kingston area; S7 beech-maple forests, calcareous sites

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Nutrient Accumulator, Shelterbelter, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S72 Hemenway (tables: 6-2, appendix_a, pp. 96, 186)] | Nutrient Accumulator: S72 Hemenway (tables: 6-2, appendix_a, pp. 96, 186)] | Shelterbelter: S72 Hemenway (tables: 6-2, appendix_a, pp. 96, 186); S72 Hemenway (tables: 6-2, appendix_a, pp. 96, 186)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 6-2, appendix_a, pp. 96, 186)]
Notes: Functions as a canopy-layer guild anchor on calcareous sites, accumulating calcium and cycling it through leaf litter. Its deep heart root system does not compete aggressively with understory layers. Oak leaf mulch repels slugs and grubs, benefiting adjacent plantings. Best paired with other calciphiles in limestone-substrate food forests; avoid acid-soil companions.
S72 Ca accumulator, insectary; S29 leaf mulch repels slugs/grubs; S41 limestone soils

Category: Antiemetic, Astringent
S28 Drug/Antiemetic; S29 Astringent, Dysentery treatment
Notes: Delaware and Ontario peoples used an infusion of the bark as an antiemetic to treat vomiting. Galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and were used to treat hemorrhages, chronic diarrhea, and dysentery.
S28 Tantaquidgeon 1942, infusion of bark for vomiting; S29 galls for hemorrhages, diarrhea, dysentery

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: Acorns are among the sweetest of all oaks, containing very little bitter tannin, and are quite pleasant eating raw or baked. Seeds can be leached in running water, dried, and ground into flour, or roasted as a coffee substitute. Despite palatability, the species is not commonly eaten due to scattered distribution and irregular mast years.
S29 sweet, low tannin, edibility 3/5; S41 acorns sweet and palatable; S4 detailed acorn preparation methods