Chrysolepis chrysophylla

The golden chinquapin is in the beech or Fagaceae family and is native to the Pacific coast of United States, from southern Washington to southwestern California. It can take on a shrubbier form to a large tree up to 45 m tall that dominates the canopy and may live up to 500 years old.

• The open crown of the large tree is conical in shape; bark is thin and smooth on young trunks, while on older specimens it becomes thicker and platy.
• Leaves are leathery, dark green on the upper side and golden colour underneath, folding upward along the midrib.
• The species is monoecious (male and female flowers on the same tree). 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.
• Burls at the base of the tree can sprout adventitious buds, producing new stems, particularly in dry areas where seeds have difficulty sprouting.