woodland shrub

Allegheny Chinquapin

Castanea pumila

Native to the Southeast and the Northeast

Southern New Jersey to Georgia, west to southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas

Light Partial shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Dry Moisture preference
Zones 6–9 Cold to heat range
Bloom May–Jun Flowering time
Height up to 50 ft to 15.2 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

In the garden

A woodland shrub for partial shade and lean, dry soil. Its white flowers peak in June. At up to 50 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. Hardy in USDA zones 6–9.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

When it blooms

The Allegheny Chinquapin's white flowers bloom May to June, peaking in June. This early-summer display draws butterflies and bees.

Allegheny Chinquapin blooms whiteFoliage

Pollinators & wildlife

Butterflies Common Buckeye also Red-banded Hairstreak, Oak Hairstreak, Cyaniris neglecta
Bees Cresson's Mining Bee also W-labrum Miner, Rehn's Miner Bee
Beetles Serica blatchleyi

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: The Southeast and the NortheastUnited States (19): AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Southern New Jersey to Georgia, west to southeastern Oklahoma and eastern TexasThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Partial shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 6–9The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Sandy, well-drained soils. Sandy, Sandy LoamThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 4.5–6.6The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: LowHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.

Growth & form

Height: up to 50 ft (to 15.2 m)Typical mature height.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 20+ in (51+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: May–JunWhen it flowers.
Flower color: WhiteThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: ripens Jun–OctThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: HighHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.