Chinquapin Bush

The Allegheny Chinquapin is a bush or small tree which bears a small nut inside a burr. This nut is very close in color and texture to a chestnut but smaller and more flavorful.

They are the “forgotten” nut of the Allegheny Mountains and said to be the best tasting nut in North America.

They are very nutritious, good for human consumption. People of all ages find them fun to pick and eat fresh. The older generation has fond memories of picking & selling this native nut.

Chinquapin bushes can be used to create food lots for wildlife such as deer, turkey, squirrel and many other animals.

Native Americans dried the nuts and ground them into flour to make bread. The leaves of the Chinquapin bush were used to brew a tea that would bring down a fever.

• Sun Preference: Prefers full sunlight for best nut production. Will tolerate up to 50% shade.
• Mature height: Bushes mature around 15 feet.
• Mature spread: 10 to 15 feet.
• Harvest: in September. Often bears nuts in 5 years. I have a friend that says he can do it in 3 with extra fertilizer.
• Soil preference: acid; sandy, loam, clay; well drained. Will not tolerate swampy areas or salt.
• Pollination: More than one bush does well; I have never seen a single bush doing very well. I would expect this to be similar to chestnut trees.

Allegheny Chinquapin bushes are very adaptable to  different soils types as long as they are well drained.  We have seen them thrive in sandy loam river  bottoms, on clay hillsides and on shell banks. In clay  with very little slope, we recommend “mounding” the soil, and make sure the tap root is well covered with soil. Chinquapins can be found growing in  shaded areas but more sun equals more nuts.  

Things to avoid when planting your Chinquapin bushes are swampy land, salt and black walnut trees.  

Most growers prefer to fertilize with composted cow  manure. 

Price changes: 

$25 per pot; $20 per sleeve; $12.50 per seedling.  Shipping on pots costs more than shipping on  sleeves.