Practical
Plants

Chrysolepis sempervirens

Dwarf Golden Chinquapin

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Chrysolepis genus in the family Fagaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Fagaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
3 m
Spread
5 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - raw or cooked[5]. Very sweet and much appreciated, tasting somewhat like a hazel nut[3].

Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California.
Habitat
Alpine regions of the coastal ranges and the Sierra Nevada[6].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, the seed must be protected from mice etc[4]. The seed has a short viability and should not be allowed to dry out. If stored overwinter it should be kept cool and moist. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a lime-free soil[1]. Prefers a sheltered semi-shaded position and a light deep moist soil[1][2]. Plants can only be grown in oceanic and Mediterranean climates, thriving in Britain[4]. In N. America this plant grows better at low elevations than C. chrysophylla. A specimen at Edinburgh Botanical Gardens is 3.5 metres tall and 6 metres across[2]. A very ornamental shrub[3].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  5. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩

  6. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩

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