Habitat and Range
Chinquapin is a common shrub growing in thickets on dry rocky slopes and ridges throughout the Sierra Nevada from 2500 ft - 11,000 ft. The plant blooms from May to August and is often found in the same places as Manzanita.
Physical Description
Sierra Chinquapin is an evergreen perennial shrub that grows up to 8 ft tall in dense patches. It has smooth gray or brown bark. The leaves are yellow-green on top and rusty tomentose (fuzzy) below. Each leaf is oblong in shape and 1 - 2.5 inches long with a short petiole (leaf-stem). Chinquapin has both staminate and pistillate spike-like flowers that have an odd smell. The fruit is a bur-casing of several seeds. The seeds themselves have a hard shell and are the size and shape of a chocolate kiss.
Food Uses
The Chinquapin nut is edible either raw or roasted, but can be frustrating to collect on the trail. One thing to do is gather a basket or bag full of them and do the preparation all at home or sitting down at camp. You can also try gently rolling it underneath your boot to remove the bur. The nuts ripen between September and October. Once you remove the three seeds from each bur, peel away the hard nutshell and enjoy the sweet taste.
Medicinal Uses
None known at this time.
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