Herb: Dwarf Golden Chinquapin


Latin name: Chrysolepis sempervirens


Family: Fagaceae (Beech Family)



Edible parts of Dwarf Golden Chinquapin:

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

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
July

Habitat of the herb:

Alpine regions of the coastal ranges and the Sierra Nevada.

Propagation of Dwarf Golden Chinquapin:

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 the herb:

Alpine regions of the coastal ranges and the Sierra Nevada.

Medicinal use of Dwarf Golden Chinquapin:

None known

Known hazards of Chrysolepis sempervirens:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.