| There are two types of chinquapin trees, also called | | | | These plants are found in huge colonies throughout |
| 'chikapin trees,' that are available commercially in the | | | | South Georgia and produce numerous nuts in late |
| United States, the Allegheny chinquapin and the | | | | summer and early fall with a distinct sweetness and |
| Georgiana chinquapin. The Allegheny chinquapin, | | | | characteristic spicy flavor that remains indelibly bonded |
| 'Castanea pumila', is considered a shrub by some; | | | | within the memory. The plant is easily grown and |
| however, some researchers claim that its dwarf size | | | | transplanted, but is more vigorous in a shady location. |
| does not justify its reclassification. Many old-timers | | | | The burr is about one inch in diameter, producing a |
| remember sweet memories from their youth when | | | | brown waxy nut in the center. The Georgian |
| baskets were filled with the spicy, sweet, nutty | | | | chinquapin 'Castanea alnifolia' is cold hardy in zones |
| flavored chinquapins. These nuts were eaten fresh, | | | | 8-10, growing about 4 feet in height, slow growing but |
| roasted or baked into snack confections for any | | | | excelling in poor sandy soils that are well drained. |
| occasion. The nuts from chinquapin trees grow with | | | | Luther Burbank reported in his book Trees, Volume 8, |
| only one nut to a burr, whereas chestnuts, a close | | | | that chinquapin trees appeared to be almost immune |
| botanical relative, produce two or more nuts per burr. | | | | to the chestnut tree blight of the American chestnut |
| The Allegheny chinquapin, 'Castanea pumila,' is widely | | | | trees that, within a 50 year period of history-beginning |
| distributed throughout the Southeastern U.S. and is cold | | | | in 1912, practically had eliminated the American native |
| hardy up to Zone 6 and all the way down to Zone 9. | | | | chestnut tree. Burbank hybridized thousands of |
| The Allegheny chinquapin prefers to grow on a neutral, | | | | chestnut trees in an effort to renew the American |
| uphill soil, especially at higher elevations. These nuts are | | | | chestnut forests to their former splendor. He noted |
| often gathered by local inhabitants and are available at | | | | that any hybrid that had successfully survived the |
| many locations at nearby markets and roadside | | | | chestnut tree blight to become a viable commercial |
| stands. | | | | orchard selection would undoubtedly contain the |
| The Georgiana chinquapin, 'Castanea alnifolia,' is best | | | | immune qualities within the chinquapin that had been |
| described as the creeping chinquapin and it readily | | | | implanted into the American chinquapin tree genetic |
| spreads in shady thickets by means of giant | | | | makeup. |
| underground stems that produce many shallow roots. | | | | |