New Mexico Native. Chinquapin oaks can grow very fast, up to 6′ per year, ultimately reaching 40′ tall and 25′-30′ wide. Plants vary in their fall color display. Fall color can be yellow, orangish-red, and red. Deep roots. Long-lived. Regular water. Best in well-drained soils, but will tolerate heavy clay. Zone 4.
I’ve attached photos of the El Capitan Chinquapin White Oak under cultivation in poor sands in Rio Rancho, growing on a minimal drip irrigation system. This tree and several others in this landscape came from us and have always performed well and grown fast. The next image with fall color, shows what El Capitan will do in a colder climate, as this tree is growing in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was purchased by the Fort Collins Urban Forester from Trees That Please several years ago. There’s also a photo of a wild Chinquapin Oak growing in a Piñon Juniper woodland in New Mexico, showing that its part of that habitat. El Capitan is a ‘Provenance Cultivar’ selected by me, as a superior species since it has adapted to our higher elevations, whereas the Eastern or Texas Hill Country types have adapted to lower elevations. El Capitan Chinquapin can also tolerate a more arid low humidity climate than is typical of the species.
-Michael