Joseph Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens – Kew (1865-1885) described this plant in 1887 as “one of the most attractive and interesting hardy garden shrubs that has been introduced in many years.” 

✨ On August 14th we harvested our 2023 Shiny Leaf Yellowhorn nut tree crop. We now have over 300 lbs. of nut/seed available. Please order the seeds/nuts through our shopping cart.
Thanks, Aww

Introduction:
In an attempt to find an alternative energy bio-diesel source, Maple River Farms came across Xanthoceras Sorbifolium, a northern, cold hardy, oil tree. In 2012 we began establishing our orchard with the hope of integrating this crop into out alternative energy endeavors. At this time we have seeds for sale.

During years of growth and working with this tree we discovered that it offers a multitude of cooking and medicinal possibilities. The seeds of Xanthoceras Sorbifolium are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and are used to prepare cooking oil. The leaves can also be used as tea (its protein content is higher than that of black tea), and the caffeine is similar to that of flower tea. Xanthoceras Sorbifolium can also be used in cosmetics and to make biodiesel. Other properties of this plant include cold tolerance, soil resistance, and high seed oil content.

Xanthoceras Sorbifolium has broad development prospects, especially in fields of food, medicine, energy, and ecology. In recent years phytochemistry research has isolated 278 components from different sections of Xanthoceras Sorbifolium, including triterpenoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, steroids, phenols fatty acids, alkaloids, quinones, and others.

Planting Zones:

USDA hardiness zones 4 - 7

We are selling 10 Xanthoceras Sorbifolium seeds for $9.09, so you can have this rare tree growing in your area.

We have 30 seeds for $14.09. We have 50 seeds for $19.09. 

The most successful germination method that we have figured out is by taking the seeds you want to grow and putting them in a zip-lock bag with moist soil. The soil should be at least the same volume as the seeds, plus a little.

Freeze them at least 3 days, then place in a warm location. After about 7 days, the first white tap root will show. Open the bag and push them around with a plastic fork to remove and plant. Then daily check for new growth to plant. About 1/4" of soil on top of the seed is enough. Tap root down. Germination rates vary. Most within 4 weeks, but some longer.

Information:
The following article about Xanthoceras Sorbifolium is very well written. Mark Dwyer wrote this article for Nursery Management magazine. They have given us permission to use their wonderfully informative article on our website...

Blooming in May, the fragrant flowers, appearing on terminal racemes, are white with very light green streaks and a center that age from yellow on the newest flowers to a gorgeous red orange on older flowers. The proliferous flower clusters can be up to 10 inches long and individual flowers are roughly 1 inch in dimeter with five petals.

Another common name for this plant is "popcorn shrub" due to the appearance of the flowers upon opening. The duration of bloom is only about two weeks, but it is a gorgeous and memorable display. Plants as young as two to three years old will start to bloom readily. William (Ned) Friedman of the Arnold Arboretum (Harvard University) writes about the value of the yellow to red color shifts in the flowers of Yellow Horn and other woodies with similar flowering characteristic. Ecologists have shown that insects have an innate preference for yellow flowers over red and by targeting the younger with yellow accents; they are assured of more nectar and pollen. Those that have faded to red have likely been visited already. Friedman mentions that this yellow to red color shift has evolved to help steer insects to newly opened flowers.

The fruits, more common on older specimens, are 2 1/2–inch, pear–shaped, leathery capsules. The capsules are initially green and resemble a black walnut husk but later age to a brown and split open into three chambers that contain the glossy, pea–sized black seeds. The half–inch seeds are edible and when roasted, have the flavor of macadamia nuts. The seeds are also used to produce quality cooking oil and aside from being roasted, can be boiled or dried and ground into flour. Apparently, this plant also has edible flowers and foliage which are traditionally boiled in advance of consumption.

Yellow Horn can be found in Beijing, China as a small urban tree and is also commonly found throughout a wide range of other urban settings. There are actually large plantations of Yellow Horn in China as the seeds are showing great promise as a highly suitable biofuel.

Yellow Horn is commonly propagated from seed or cuttings (stem and root suckers). A higher germination rate for the seeds has been observed with three months of cold stratification. Soaking the seeds for 24 hours before sowing combined with scarification is also recommended by some sources.

The first challenge in growing Yellow Horn initially starts with sourcing it. Finding this plant will certainly be a quest but ultimately worth the time. This unique and beautiful woody plant has impressed those that have grown it over the many years since it was introduced into cultivation.

Growing Instructions for the Yellowhorn

The seeds have a hard seed coat that has to be treated, or scarified, in order for water to enter the seeds so that they can sprout.

1. Scarify the seeds by nicking or sanding the seed coat. The seeds can be sanded with sandpaper, a nail file or an emery board.
2. Soak the seed in water for 24 hours.
3. The seeds like moist, well-drained soil. Prepare a mixture of half potting soil and half sand, perlite or vermiculite. Put the soil in a pot. Water the mixture so that it is moist but not wet.
4. Put the seeds on the soil.
5. Cover the seeds with a layer of soil about 1 inch thick.
6. Water the seeds.
7. Place the pots in an area with warm temperatures in full sun or part shade.
8. When the seedlings are a few inches tall, they can be transplanted.