Dwarf Golden Chinquapin, Bush chinquapin
Chrysolepis sempervirens
Family: Fagaceae
What it is like
Chrysolepis sempervirens is an evergreen Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft) by 5 m (16ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in leaf all year, in flower in July. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 3
Where it is found
Alpine regions of the coastal ranges and the Sierra Nevada. Rocky slopes, chaparral and conifer forest, mostly at high elevations up to 3300 metres, but sometimes down to sea level.
South-western N. America - California and Oregon.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Seed - raw or cooked. Very sweet and much appreciated, tasting somewhat like a hazel nut. The small seed is up to 13mm wide.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Requires a lime-free soil. Prefers a sheltered semi-shaded position and a light deep moist soil. Plants can only be grown in oceanic and Mediterranean climates, thriving in Britain. 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. A very ornamental shrub.
Propagating it: 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.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade
Moisture: Moist