Golden chinkapin

Overview

Golden or giant chinkapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla) is a Pacific Coast tree whose wood the Wood Database says sits somewhere between chestnut and oak in anatomy and mechanical character. It is light reddish brown and ring-porous. It is rarely seen outside the Pacific Northwest, where it is occasionally milled for furniture, veneer and small specialty objects.

Pros

• Good working characteristics for both hand and machine tools.
• Glues, stains and finishes well.
• Moderate hardness (730 lbf) and density (about 515 kg/m3 dried).
• Ring-porous wood with a light reddish-brown colour.
• Fairly moderate shrinkage: 4.6% radial and 7.4% tangential, a T/R ratio of 1.6.

Cons

• Drying defects are common if lumber is not carefully dried.
• Non-durable to perishable, with poor insect resistance.
• Supply is usually local and small.
• Heartwood and sapwood are hard to tell apart.
• No retail price data are easy to find.

Variants and subspecies

• Golden chinkapin is the species covered; it was formerly placed in Castanopsis.
• Related trees: the Wood Database puts it between chestnut (see American chestnut) and oak in character; see also Tanoak.

Working and finishing

Working characteristics are good for both hand and machine tools, per the Wood Database, though drying defects are common if lumber is not carefully dried, so use properly seasoned stock. The wood glues, stains and finishes well.

Staining and finishing colour

Heartwood and sapwood are both light reddish brown and cannot easily be told apart. The Wood Database says the wood stains and finishes well. Test stains on scraps.

Sustainability and handling

The Wood Database reports golden chinkapin as not listed in the CITES Appendices (checked 2026-09-30) or on the IUCN Red List; Wikipedia's page gives Least Concern. US-grown timber is still covered by the Lacey Act, which as amended in 2008 prohibits trade in plants and timber taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of law (Wikipedia's summary of the Act); buy from dealers who can name the source. The Wood Database reports no health effects beyond the standard risks of wood dust. The Wood Database's wood-dust article treats wood dust in general as an irritant or sensitizer and notes that fine dust can cause cumulative lung damage, so extract at the source and wear a respirator when sanding or machining.

Popular projects

Furniture, veneer and small specialty wood objects, per the Wood Database. In practice it is a local wood for Pacific Northwest makers.

Buying notes

Supply is usually local, where the tree is sometimes processed into lumber. No retail list price was found; the Wood Database says prices should be moderate for a domestic hardwood. Ask the mill how the lumber was dried and look for checking.