Photo of Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)

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Photographer & Copyright

© Briggs Armstrong

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CC BY 4.0

Inclusion in Plant ID / Comparison Guides

This photo is featured in 2 plant ID/comparison guides:

Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) vs. Chinquapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)

Updated January 5th, 2021

These two white oaks are frequently confused due to similar leaves, and both occurring in dry, rocky uplands. They are easily distinguished by bark or acorns, and with effort, also by leaves. Chestnut oak is mostly limited to dry, upland, forested sites with acidic soil, in or near the Appalachians, whereas Chinquapin oak is most common on calcium-rich soils, can also occur on moister sites, ranges much farther west, and also occurs in savannas.

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Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii) vs. Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)

Updated December 22nd, 2020

These species are sometimes confused where their ranges overlap. Their habitats, however, overlap little: chestnut oak prefers dry, upland sites, and ranges farther north and to higher elevations; swamp chestnut oak occurrs on wet, bottomland sites, and ranges farther south. They are easily told apart by differences in bark or acorns, and with effort, leaves as well.

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