NATIVE PLANTS: Allegheny Chinkapin another holiday treat

Autumn is the time of year fresh pecans are enjoyed out of the shell and in holiday recipes. There is another native nut that evokes fond memories in folks that grew up in the first part of the last century: the Allegheny Chinkapin, Castanea pumila. The Allegheny Chinkapin is related to the American chestnut, Castanea dentate, and not to be confused with the chinkapin oak, Quercus muehlenbergii.

It grows into either a small tree or multi-trunked shrub about 20 feet tall with glossy, dark green toothed edged leaves that turn yellow or purple in the fall. The Alleghany Chinkapin grows best on well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade and has a high tolerance to heat. Once established its water requirements are low. It is a native of the eastern seaboard and west to southeastern Oklahoma and east Texas. Chinkapins are now scarce because they suffer from the same imported fungus that wiped out most American Chestnuts.