Quercus montana aka Chestnut Oak

Quercus montana, or chestnut oak, is a large deciduous tree. It belongs to the white oak group in Fagaceae. Other names include basket oak and rock oak. Its range covers much of the eastern and central United States. It reaches from Maine west toward Illinois, and south to Alabama. It grows on wooded upland slopes, often in poor, rocky soil.

Garden trees often reach 50–70 feet (15.2–21.3 metres) tall. Their crowns can spread to 70 feet (21.3 metres). Some sources give heights of 80 feet (24.4 metres). Trees on rich sites may reach 100 feet (30.5 metres). Growth is slow, and mature trees have rounded crowns. Young trees may have a pointed or oval outline. Dry ridge sites can produce smaller trees with bent trunks. Better sites allow straighter trunks and greater height.

The thick, dark brown bark has deep grooves and broad ridges. Twigs are stout and hairless, with brown terminal buds. Simple leaves grow in an alternate pattern along the stems. They are dark green above, with gray-green hairs beneath. Their coarse teeth can look like shallow, rounded lobes. The leaves feel leathery and turn red-yellow or copper-brown in fall. Small yellow-green flowers open in spring, after leaves appear. Male flowers form catkins; female flowers grow on short stalks. Both sexes occur on the same tree. Brown acorns ripen in fall, alone or in pairs. Thick cups cover about one-third to half of each nut.

Full sun suits this oak, though it also accepts partial shade. It grows best in moist, rich loam with good drainage. It can also grow in dry, poor, stony ground. Established trees withstand drought, but compacted soil causes problems. Sources place it in USDA zones 5–9, with one reporting zone 4. Its size suits parks and large lawns as a shade tree. Birds and mammals eat its acorns. Its leaves support moth and butterfly larvae. People have used the wood for posts, rail ties, and fuel. Bark tannins have served in leather processing.

This long-lived tree needs little routine care, but pests can occur. These include scale, borers, leaf miners, caterpillars, and nut weevils. Reported diseases include oak wilt, root rot, cankers, and mildew. Acorns carry a low-severity poison warning, including a risk to horses. Eating them may cause gut pain, diarrhea, or bowel blockage. The supplied evidence gives no basis for treating them as human food.