Herb: Golden Chinquapin


Latin name: Chrysolepis chrysophylla


Synonyms: Castanea chrysophylla, Castanopsis chrysophylla


Family: Fagaceae (Beech Family)



Edible parts of Golden Chinquapin:

Seed - raw or cooked. Very sweet and much appreciated. The seed can also be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in soups, mixed with cereals when making bread etc. The seed is about 1cm long and has a hard shell.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
20 m
(66 feet)

Flowering:
July


Scent:
Scented
Tree

Habitat of the herb:

Forested slopes near the coast in California. Found in many soil types ranging from dry and rocky to deep rich soils.

Other uses of Golden Chinquapin:

Wood - fine-grained, light, soft, not strong. Occasionally used for making ploughs and other agricultural implements, and also as a fuel.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, the seed must be protected from mice etc. 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 of Golden Chinquapin:

Forested slopes near the coast in California. Found in many soil types ranging from dry and rocky to deep rich soils.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Chrysolepis chrysophylla:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.