Simmondsia chinensis – “Jojoba”

Also Known As: Goat Nut, Deer Nut, Wild Hazel, Coffeebush, Quinine Plant
Family: Jojoba (Simmondsiaceae)
Bloom Period: May-June
Form: Shrub
Habitat: Gravelly or rocky soil on slopes and in washes
Leaves: Ovate, evergreen, thick; alternate
Translation: “Simmondsia” is named after Thomas William Simmonds (1767-1804), an English physician and botanist; “chinensis” means “Chinese,” which it is not.
Notes: Oil makes up 50% of the nut by weight. It is indigestible but has applications as a lubricant in high-speed machinery. Also a popular ingredient in hair shampoos. Inset photo shows the nut.
Native American Uses: The Cahuilla, Cocopa and Tohono O’odham ate the seeds fresh. The Cahuilla also powdered them to make a coffee-like beverage and the Cocopa pressed them into cakes and boiled them. The Yavapai parched the berries and ground them into a nut-butter consistency. Medicinally, the Tohono O’odham and Yavapai applied a poultice of parched, pulverized nuts to sores and the Yavapai ate the berries as a cathartic (to stimulate the bowels).