Rush chinquapin is a monoecious, multi-stemmed, deciduous, small tree or a large shrub that matures at about 25 feet high. It is often found in southeastern North America, although not common in North Carolina, on dry sandy ridges and rich hillsides where it forms thickets, in woods, or the borders of swamps. It is an edible plant and a good wood source for fuel. It is not frost tender, is moderately resistant to chestnut blight and drought, and tolerates heat and fire. Although it is winter hardy, this plant thrives in areas with hot summers. Rush chinquapin can spread widely by means of underground suckers and the nuts produced by the plant can be messy. The Rush chinquapin prefers dry or moist well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil including acid and neutral soils. It will grow in partial sun, but prefers full sun and does not do well in the shade. Chinkapin nuts are palatable to humans as well as wildlife. They have a sweet flavor and are eaten by many birds and mammals. The cultivar, ‘Rush’ has been developed specifically as a nut crop. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Chinkapin is moderately resistant to chestnut blight, but fewer trees are reported each year due to the inhibitory effects of the fungus. More information on Castanea pumila .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 13 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Erect; Multi-stemmed; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Rush chinquapin features alternate, simple, elongated green leaves with coarse teeth at the margin. Lanceolate shaped with pinnate vein, the leaves are similar, but smaller, than those on the American chestnut. The leaves are bright yellow-green n the top and silvery tomentose (covered with densely matted woolly hairs) on the lower surface.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Catkin
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers bloom in late spring. Male flower is pale yellow, 4 to 6 inches long and female flower is much smaller, about 1/8 inch long. Flowers are produced on the current year's growth.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
The small-sized fruit is covered with sharp spines, matured in early September and occurs in clusters. Each bur in the cluster contains one brown nut. It has a sweet and nutty flavor.
Bark color
Light Brown
Bark detail
The bark is light brown tinged with red, slightly furrowed and broken into loose plate-like scales.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Twigs are densely hairy (tomentose) when young, becoming shiny brown with densely reddish-hairy buds with 2-3 overlapping scales.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Larval host for butterflies. This plant is moderately resistant to damage from deer. Its nuts are eaten by woodpeckers, bluejays, small mammals, wild turkeys, black bears, and white-tailed deer.