Yellow Horn, Official's hat fruit, Shiny-leaf yellowhorn, Northern macadamia
Xanthoceras sorbifolium
Family: Sapindaceae
What it is like
A small tree. It grows 8 m high. The bark is grey-brown and cracks into scaly ridges. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. The leaves are 30 cm long with up to 17 leaflets. These are narrowly oval and have teeth. The leaflets are 6 cm long and glossy green above. The flowers are white and have 5 petals. They are yellow to red at their bases. The fruit is a smooth thick-walled capsule. It is 6 cm across. It contains several pea sized seeds. The fruit are edible.
There are (1) 2 Xanthoceras species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It is native to northern China. It grows in thickets. It is cold resistant and drought tolerant. It suits hardiness zones 6-9.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Britain, China, Europe, France, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, North America, USA
How it is used for food
The leaves and flowers are boiled and eaten. They are also used for a tea like drink. The seeds are husked and the grains powdered and boiled and eaten.
It is an important crop in China. It is cultivated.
Edible parts
Flowers, leaves, seeds
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed, suckers or cuttings.
Its other names
Local names
Senden chai, Sengdeng, Wen guan guo