Allegheny Chinquapin
Castanea pumila
In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in dry forests and woodlands, generally in fire-maintained habitats. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you
Native to Louisiana. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- 15–30 feet
- Spread
- 10–20 feet
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
Space about 15 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- Summer
- Fruiting season
- September to October
Recorded in 26 Louisiana parishes.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.
Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 67 animals.
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- American KestrelFalco sparverius
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Bachman's SparrowAimophila aestivalis
- Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus
- Barred OwlStrix varia
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- Black-and-White WarblerMniotilta varia
- Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticorax
- Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
- Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea
- Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
- Brown CreeperCerthia americana
- Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica
- Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
- Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis
- Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus
Who uses this plant?
92CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA
Genus host records with ranges including LA · Castanea
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
- Acronicta incretaSouthern Oak Dagger, Eclipsed Oak Dagger, Small Oak Dagger
- Acronicta lithospilaStreaked Dagger
- Actias lunaLuna Moth
- Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
- Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Ancylis divisanaTwo-Toned Ancylis
Show all 92
- Anisota senatoriaOrange-Tipped Oakworm Moth, Orangestriped Oakworm
- Anisota stigmaSpiny Oakworm Moth, Stigma Moth
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Apantesis phylliraPhyllira Tiger Moth
- Blastobasis glandulellaAcorn Moth
- Cameraria bethunellaBethune Miner
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Cleora sublunariaDouble-Lined Gray
- Colocasia propinquilineaClosebanded Yellowhorn
- Cydia latiferreanaFilbertworm
- Dasychira meridionalisSouthern Tussock Moth
- Datana contractaContracted Datana
- Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
- Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
- Dyseriocrania griseocapitellaChinquapin Leaf-Miner
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Euchlaena obtusariaObtuse Euchlaena
- Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Gesta brizoSleepy Duskywing
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Heterogenea shurtleffiRed-Eyed Button Slug
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hyperstrotia villificansWhite-Lined Graylet
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Ianassa lignicolorWhite-Streaked Prominent
- Isa textulaCrowned Slug
- Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
- Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
- Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
- Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
- Macrurocampa marthesiaMottled Prominent
- Mompha cephalonthiellaButtonbush Leafminer
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Neurobathra strigifinitellaFinite-Channeled Leafminer
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
- Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
- Paranthrene simulansHornet Clearwing, Golden Oak Borer
- Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
- Parasa indeterminaStinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
- Peridea angulosaAngulose Prominent
- Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
- Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
- Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
- Plagodis fervidariaFervid Plagodis
- Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
- Prionoxystus macmurtreiLittle Carpenterworm, Lesser Oak Carpenter Worm
- Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
- Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
- Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Pseudexentera spolianaBare-Patched Leafroller
- Psilocorsis cryptolechiellaBlack-Fringed Leaftier
- Psilocorsis quercicellaOak Leaftier
- Satyrium calanusBanded Hairstreak, Falacer Hairstreak
- Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Scolecocampa liburnaDead-Wood Borer
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Spragueia onagrusBlack-Dotted Spragueia
- Symmerista albifronsWhite-Headed Prominent
- Synanthedon pictipesLesser Peachtree Borer Moth
- Synanthedon scitulaDogwood Borer, Pecan Borer
- Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Tischeria quercitellaOak Blotch Miner
- Anisota fuscosa
- Antaeotricha unipunctella
- Coptotriche zelleriella
- Dichomeris ventrellus
- Menesta tortriciformella
- Pseudexentera faracana
- Pseudexentera haracana
5BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Castanea
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Castanea
- Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Plant details
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 5a–9b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to neutral
- Flower color
- White
- Fruit begins
- September
- Fruit ends
- October
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition differs)
- Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Fruit begins · “September” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
- Hardiness · “Zones 5a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “15–30 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
- primary_flower_color · “white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
- Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
- Spread · “10–20 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Conservation status
| Louisiana rank | S5 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| LA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Sources
- NatureServe Explorer
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- Louisiana occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications

























