Chinkapin Oak
You're making an investment in your land — protect it. Each kit has a Tree Pro tube and a slow-release fertilizer block for one tree. The tube keeps deer and rabbits off and can double your growth rate; the fertilizer feeds the tree through its first season. Plant with a kit, follow the Growing Guide, and your trees are covered by our 1-Year Survival Guarantee.
What you're planting
- Drop Time
- Sept – Oct
- First Crop
- 10–15 years
- Produces
- Every year
- Pollination
- Plant 3–5 for best results
- Zones
- 4–7
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade
- Soil & Site
- Wants neutral to alkaline, well-drained ground. pH 7.0–8.5.
- Size & Spacing
- 40–60ft · plant 25–35ft apart
Orders placed now are for Spring 2027 shipment
We take orders in advance and ship at the proper time for spring planting in your region — mid-December in the Deep South through the end of May up north. Pick your state under "When Will My Order Ship?" below and you’ll see your exact ship dates. Get your order in now, we sell out early every season!
Chinkapin (also spelled Chinquapin) oaks are one of the best varieties of oak for wildlife. They produce acorns that have very low tannin content which means they taste great to deer, turkeys, raccoons, black bear, and pretty much everything else in the woods. Typically they’re one of the very first types of acorns deer choose to eat when given a variety. They’re a magnet for wildlife when they drop Sept-Oct. Unlike most of our other trees Chinkapin oaks need neutral or slightly alkaline soil to thrive. They can’t handle acidic soils. They should also be located in a well drained area.
Plant each tree with one of our Survival Kits (a Tree Pro tube and a slow-release fertilizer block), follow our planting instructions, and it’s covered by our 1-Year Survival Guarantee. Full details here.
Drop time: Sept-Oct
Years till production: 10-15
Growing zones: 4-7
Soil type: Prefers neutral or alkaline well drained soil
pH: 7.0-8.5
Sun: Full sun-partial shade
Pollination: Recommended to plant at least 3-5 trees for best results
Size when shipped: 1yr old approx. 18-36in
Spacing: 25-35ft
Add Late Drop and keep chestnuts falling into December.
By November most acorns have been mopped up and the woods go quiet. Late Drop Hybrids are selected to drop Nov–late Dec, right when deer have the fewest options. Our recommendation: a 1:1 mix.
Questions we get about Chinkapin Oak
We don't ship on the day you order. We take orders in advance and ship at the proper time for spring planting in each region — from mid-December in the Deep South through the end of May up north. Pick your state below to see your exact window. Orders placed after your region has already shipped go out within 5–10 business days.
A Tree Pro grow tube and a slow-release fertilizer block for one tree. The tube protects the seedling from deer and rabbits and can double its growth rate; the fertilizer block feeds the tree through its first growing season. Every tree we ship is already inoculated with beneficial mycorrhizae, so there's nothing else to add — plant it in the kit, follow the Growing Guide, and it's covered by our 1-Year Survival Guarantee.
Plant with a Survival Kit and we guarantee the tree for a full year. If a tree dies within one year of the day it's delivered, we'll issue you store credit for what you paid for it. You don't have to worry about spending your money on something that may or may not make it.
To be covered, plant each tree with one of our Survival Kits (a Tree Pro tube and a slow-release fertilizer block), keep the tube on, and follow our planting instructions. Email us photos and your order number within a year of delivery.
For all details and conditions, see here: 1-Year Survival Guarantee
