Unfortunately, last week we lost one of our truly dedicated members of the ‘horticultural industry’ here locally, Brad Bonham. Truly a great lady, loved plants and this great industry, and loved sharing information and knowledge with her peers and anyone who she worked with. She was called ‘The Garden Fairy’. Well, an esteemed group she belonged to, ‘The Tree Geeks’, have decided to dedicate a tree in her memory…what a great thing to do, eh? So, what was her favorite tree? It is Quercus muehlenbergii, or commonly known as Chinquapin (Chinkapin) Oak.
This is big oak, so give it plenty of room to grow (40-50’ high and wide).The leaves are not what you think as an oak, but more of a chestnut like leaf, lustrous dark green with coarsely toothed edges (yellow to yellow bronze fall color).Gray scaly bark, sweet edible acorns, this durable large specimen tree is adaptable to dry conditions, and alkaline soils. Great in parks, gold courses, and large yards. 2009 SMA Tree of the Year, and the favorite of our friend, Brad Bonham.