SafePlants

Giant Chinquapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla)

The Giant Chinquapin, also known as Golden Chinquapin, is a tree or shrub with notable characteristics and a unique place in the Pacific Coast ecosystem.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant produces a spiny burr containing nuts.

Considerations for Children

• The plant produces a spiny burr containing nuts.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Chrysolepis chrysophylla (Douglas ex Hook.) Hjelmqvist var. chrysophylla
• Family: Fagaceae (beech family)
• Common Names: Golden Chinquapin, Giant Chinquapin, Western Golden Chinquapin, Golden-leafed Chinquapin, Golden-leafed Chestnut
• Synonyms: Castanea chrysophylla, Castanopsis chrysophylla
• Translation: &quotGolden scale&quot is the translation for the Latin term chrysolepis.

Distribution and Habitat

• The Giant Chinquapin is restricted to the Pacific Coast region, occurring from central California to west-central Washington.
• It's primarily found in the High Sierra Nevada and Central and Northern California.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Chrysolepis chrysophylla can be a tree or a shrub.
• The leaves are entire, thick, and leathery, typically dark green and glabrous (smooth) above. The underside is yellow-green to golden and densely scurfy-woolly.
• The plant produces a f-valved spiny burr containing 1 to 4 triangular nuts.

Ecological Role

• The burr-covered fruit contains two triangular nuts that are popular with chipmunks and squirrels.
• Ectomycorrhizal communities interact with understory giant chinquapin and overstory Pinaceae trees in mixed forests.

Quirky Facts

• One individual tree was associated with a person named Auzville "Auzzie" Jackson Jr., born in 1927 and passed away in 2012.

Further Information

• Total volume of giant chinkapin in Oregon is about 86 MMCF (Appendix 1, Table 1).
• Discover Life provides information on the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Chrysolepis chrysophylla.