Chestnut Oak

Quercus montana

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Fagaceae
Genus:
Quercus
Species:
Quercus montana

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Tree
Height:
More than 40 ft
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
Low
Bloom Months:
mar, apr, may
Bloom Colors:
Yellow, Green

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Acrocercops strigosus, Cameraria cincinnatiella, Coleophora querciella, Confused Morrisonia (Morrisonia confusa), elm spanworm moth (Ennomos subsignaria), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Finlayson's oakworm moth (Anisota finlaysoni), Girlfriend Underwing (Catocala amica), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Himella fidelis, Lineella Underwing (Catocala lineella), maple trumpet skeletonizer (Catastega aceriella), Marmara fulgidella, Meganola spodia, Morrisonia latex, oak leaf blotch miner (Cameraria hamadryadella), Orange-tipped oakworm moth (Anisota senatoria), Phyllonorycter aeriferella, Phyllonorycter argentifimbriella, Phyllonorycter basistrigella, Phyllonorycter fitchella, Phyllonorycter hagenii, Pink-striped oakworm moth (Anisota virginiensis), Spotted Tussock Moth (Lophocampa maculata), Spring cankerworm (Paleacrita vernata), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), Juvenal's Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rocky, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
pH:
4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
dry to moderate
Notes:
thrives on rocky ridges and slopes

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 90 days.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o