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Chrysolepis sempervirens
Chrysolepis sempervirens (Kellogg) Hjelmqvist
Bush Chinquapin, Sierran Chinkapin, Sierra Chinquapin
Fagaceae (Beech Family)
Synonym(s): Castanopsis sempervirens
USDA Symbol: chse11
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
A low-spreading, round-topped shrub, 2-8 ft. high, with smooth bark. Oblong leaves are gray-green on top, rusty-gold underneath. Insignificant flowers can be ill-smelling. Burs are chestnut-like.
The Bush Chinkapin can be difficult to distinguish from a shrub variety of the Giant Chinkapin, and the two are known to hybridize in some areas.
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Pinnate
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Monoecious
Fruit Type: Nut
Size Notes: Up to about 8 feet tall.
Leaf: Green
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , GreenBloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug
Distribution
USA: CA , NV , ORNative Distribution: N. Coast Ranges, CA to s. OR
Native Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes & ridges; 2500 to 11,000 ft.
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Gravelly or rocky soils.
Propagation
Description: Seeds germinate readily when planted in fresh, moist peat. Layering may be successful.Seed Collection: Nuts mature in the fall of the second year. After being spread out and dried, the burred fruits may open spontaneously. Otherwise spread the burs between thick canvas sheets and trample.
Seed Treatment: Cold stratification does not improve germination.
Commercially Avail: yes
Find Seed or Plants
View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.
Web Reference
Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) CalfloraWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Additional resources
USDA: Find Chrysolepis sempervirens in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Chrysolepis sempervirens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Chrysolepis sempervirens
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-10-17Research By: TWC Staff