Hello,

I am looking at small edible nut producing trees for my suburban Chicago yard. Does anybody have any familiarity with the Dwarf Chestnut Oak? It fits my needs nicely but I have not been able to find how the acorns taste. If anybody has one or knows about them I have a few questions. How do the acorns taste? Do the acorns have to be rinsed? Are they a decent size acorn? How long before they produce? Any other info you could give me would be greatly appreciated thanks!

Jason

Oikos Tree Crops lists them under forage and timber oaks, so I'd assume the acorns aren't the best ones for eating, but you can eat any acorns if you leach them enough.
Have you considered hazel nuts? They grow nicely in this area-I'm in the Chicago suburbs too-if you can get to them before the squirrels do.

I have not been able to find much on the human edibility of the Oak Acorns either. I plan to squeeze Dwarf Siberian Pine (X2), Dwarf Chinkapin Oak (X2) and a Hazelnut into my lot. Do you have a lot of fruit/nut trees in you yard?

Hi, as far as I know the chinkapin is more like a chestnut than an oak acorn. They do not need leaching and can be eaten just like a chestnut.



https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-500.html

Check with your state's forestry department. Here in Virginia I order seedlings from Virginia's forestry dept.

https://app.kinsail.com/client/store/main/VDOF/28506

J you may be too far north

Oikos is in Kalamazoo, MI which is about the same latitude as we are. I think I am going to buy two. I was hoping to get a more mature specimen than a 3-6" seedling but can't seem to find them larger online.
I know there are probably an overload of posts about nurseries but can anybody recomend nurseries with nut trees? I will go with Oikos if I can't find larger specimens. Now I need to find my Dwarf Siberian Pine!

or better still get someone here to send you a few acorns!!!