Xanthoceras sorbifolium
Origin: China
Improvement status: Cultivated
Seeds per packet: ~10
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial
Also called goldenhorn, shiny leaf yellowhorn, or Chinese flowering chestnut, this may just be the coolest plant you’ve never heard of. A member of the so-called soapberry family (Sapindaceae), along with maples, buckeyes, ackee, and lychee, Chinese yellowhorn is a multi-use tree with a long history of utilization by humans. Native to northern China, where it is called “heavenly fairy fruit” (天仙果), its Latin botanical name means “yellow horn” (Xanthoceras) with “rowan-like leaves” (sorbifolium). Yellowhorn is a large deciduous shrub or small tree reaching to just over 25 feet tall. Its long compound leaves have between 9 and 17 leaflets. They do indeed resemble rowan leaves (genus Sorbus), as well as prickly-ash and honey locust. The flowers, white with either red or yellow in the center (both colors appear on the same plant), are incredibly beautiful, and somewhat reminiscent of catalpa tree flowers.
The leaves, flowers, and seeds of yellowhorn are all edible. The leaves are best when still young in the spring, and are actually relatively high in protein. The flowers are said to also make an excellent nectar for bees, yielding a honey with a special flavor. The seed kernels taste something like chestnuts, and can be pressed to yield an edible oil rich in unsaturated fats. The leaves can also be dried and used for tea — and they even contain caffeine!
Yellowhorn is also a powerful medicinal believed to have potent anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. According to some recent studies, the fruit peel extract can inhibit the cells of ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and melanoma. It’s being studied against a range of different cancers, as well as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palso, cerebral atrophy, head injury, memory loss, urinary system diseases, rheumatism, and encephalopathy.
Our China-grown seeds were imported by the good folks at Sheffield’s Seeds in Locke, NY.
GROWING TIPS: Yellowhorn is very cold hard, down to Zone 4 or even lower. It may not be very happy above Zone 8. Seeds need no special treatment to germinate, but stratification may help. We recommend soaking seeds for 24 hours before planting half an inch deep. It wants to be placed in a full sun location that’s well-drained. It appreciates warm or hot summers. It is adaptable to a range of soils and soil pH (between 5.5 and 8.5), but prefers loamy soil.
NOTE: The close-up flower photo is from wlcutler and is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
