Giant Chinquapin, Chrysolepis chrysophylla

About Giant Chinquapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla) 4 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Chrysolepis chrysophylla is a species of flowering plant in the beech family known by the common names golden chinquapin, giant chinquapin, and western chinquapin. It is native to the Pacific coast of the United States from west-central Washington to central California. This plant is a shrub or tree. Shrubby forms of the plant occur in dry areas, higher elevations, and poor soils. The plant grows into a tree up to 45 metres (148 ft) tall in cooler, moister areas such as valley bottoms and north-facing slopes, and foggy and rainy areas. The bark is thin and smooth on young trunks; on older specimens it becomes thicker and platy. The open crown of the large tree is conical in shape. The leathery evergreen leaves are dark green on the upper sides and golden underneath. The leaves are folded upward along the midrib. The species is monoecious, with individuals bearing both male and female flowers. White male flowers are borne in the leaf axils, and a cluster of female flowers is borne beneath them. A spiny bur contains one to three nuts. There is generally a burl at the base of the tree. The tree may sprout from adventitious buds in the burl, a form of vegetative reproduction that is more common in dry areas where it is less likely that seedlings would become established. The tree may live up to 500 years.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub, Tree

Size

98 - 147.6 ft tall

Dormancy

Evergreen

Flower Color

Yellow, Cream, White

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 confirmed

, 8 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Golden Hairstreak Habrodais grunusHabrodais grunus

Lappet Moth Phyllodesma americanaPhyllodesma americana

Cameraria agrifoliellaCameraria agrifoliella

Stenomid Oak Leaf Tier Rectiostoma fernaldellaRectiostoma fernaldella

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

California Oak Moth Phryganidia californicaPhryganidia californica

Litocala Moth Litocala sexsignataLitocala sexsignata

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Nurseries

Carried by 4

Sunset Zones?

1, 2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Natural Setting

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 11.8" - 155.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.18" - 5.94", Coldest Month: 18.4" - 50.4", Hottest Month: 39.7" - 73.2", Humidity: 0.01" - 21.85", Elevation: 9" - 10940"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Golden Chinquapin, Western Chinquapin

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Giant Chinquapin

Chrysolepis chrysophylla

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Giant ChinquapinChrysolepis chrysophylla

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Giant Chinquapin

Chrysolepis chrysophylla