American hazelnut (Corylus americana) is a deciduous shrub that will grow from 2.5 to 5 m tall. Commonly found growing in thickets woodlands and prairies. It prefers full sun to partial shade. Showy large male and small female catkin flowers bloom in spring. American hazelnut produces edible nuts that attract birds.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Corylus americana, the American hazelnut or American hazel, is a species of deciduous shrub in the genus Corylus, native to the eastern and central United States and extreme southern parts of eastern and central Canada.
The American hazelnut grows to a height of roughly 2.5 to 5 m (8 to 16 ft), with a crown spread of 3 to 4.5 m (10 to 15 ft). It is a medium to large shrub, which under some conditions can take the like of a small tree. It is often multi-stemmed with long outward growing branches that form a dense spreading or spherical shape. It spreads by sending up suckers from underground rhizomes 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) below the surface.
It blooms in very early to mid spring, producing hanging male (staminate) catkins 4 to 8 cm (1+1⁄2 to 3+1⁄4 in) long, and clusters of 2–5 tiny female (pistillate) flowers enclosed in the protective bracts of a bud, with their red styles sticking out at the tip. The male catkins develop in the fall and remain over the winter. Each male flower on a catkin has a pair of bracts and four stamens.
American hazelnut produces edible nuts that mature at a time between July and October. Each nut is enclosed in two leaf-like bracts with irregularly laciniate margins.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Placing a hazel in a location that receives full sun most of the day will give you the best yield of flowers and nuts if that is what you are trying to achieve. It will tolerate part shade as well, but you will see a decrease in flower production.
Temperature and Humidity
Hazels thrive in temperate climates in USDA zones 4-8. They don’t do well when exposed to extremes, either winter old, summer heat, or high humidity. Wind, on the other hand, is not an issue, in fact, for pollination, they need windy conditions. But that is the only extreme they resist well.
Watering
Keeping your hazel tree watered is important to ensure profuse flower and nut production. It will not tolerate drought and will need supplemental watering to remain a viable producer if you look forward to it fruiting during dry periods. Water it using the standard rule to establish: 10 gallons per inch of trunk diameter every week after planting. Using this method will keep your hazel green and blossoming in even the driest of weather.
Soil
The hazel tree is very adaptable, but it is best to avoid densely packed soils, clays, or rocky soils. Its preference would be to grow in sandy loams that drain rather well.
Fertilizing
Fertilizer is rarely required for established shrubs but may help seedlings become established. Use a slow-release granular product and follow the packaging instructions.
Planting Instructions
American hazelnut can be planted as nursery-grown shrubs or seeds.
- Nursery-grown plants
Spring or fall are both good times to plant this shrub, although planting in the fall is easier on the dormant plant. Dig a hole twice the size of the rootball of the plant and amend the soil for good drainage. Position the plant in the hole to sit at the same depth as in its nursery container. Backfill with the soil removed from the hole, watering as you go. Press down with your hands on the soil to prevent air pockets. The plant will produce nuts in about three years.
- Seeds
American hazelnut seeds are best sown in the fall; they need to go through a period of cold stratification. Sow the seeds outside covered with 1 inch of amended garden soil and spaced about 15 feet apart. Germination takes months, but scarifying the seeds (scoring them with a file) speeds up the process. Cover the seed bed with a thick layer of mulch to protect the plants during the winter. The seeds can also be sown in 6-inch pots and grown in a cold frame for the winter. Wait until the seedlings are 10 inches tall to transplant them outdoors in spring. When growing from seed, expect to wait up to seven years for nuts.
Pruning
The primary upkeep task for a hazelnut tree involves cutting away the suckers that all hazels develop. You may actually want this dense growth if you are using your hazel to attract wildlife and birds. The sucker growth will create a thicket and give shelter and a habitat to the critters and feathered friends when they need it. For a neat appearance, which also makes harvesting easier, cut the sucker growth and create a brush pile with it as a shelter. The cuttings are fantastic for all kinds of crafts, from basketry to wreath-making.
Be careful not to confuse suckers with lateral branches. Don’t remove any branches that shield the trunk from sun exposure, or you will end up with irreversible, prolific sprouting.
Propagation
American hazelnut shrubs can be propagated by division and stem cuttings. They don’t produce true-to-type from harvested seed.
- Division
Use a sharp spade to cut a hazelnut shrub into several sections, each with a portion of roots and branches. Immediately replant the divisions in a prepared location. This process is easier to do when the shrub is relatively small.
- Cuttings
Collect 6- to 10-inch softwood cuttings from the current season’s growth. Remove the foliage from the bottom half of a cutting and dip it in rooting hormone powder. Fill a 6-inch pot with moist potting soil and use a pencil or similar device to make a hole in the center of the soil. Insert the cutting into the hole, being careful not to scrape off the rooting hormone. Press the soil around the stem and mist it. Cover the pot and stem with a clear plastic bag and put it in a warm place. Check the pot regularly and water as needed until you see new growth, indicating the cutting has rooted. Remove the plastic bag. Wait until the plant is at least 10 inches tall to transplant it to its permanent location.
Potting and Repotting
American hazelnut is not a particularly good candidate for container planting because it grows rapidly and requires annual repotting to only a slightly larger container each year. When growing this plant, repot it in several well-draining containers over a series of years for the health of the root system, rather than in one big jump to a large container.
Overwintering
The European hazelnut tree is able to survive winters as low as Zone 4 but because it blooms earlier than its American counterparts, it may be damaged by unseasonably cold early spring weather. Some varieties are hardier than others; follow the nursery’s recommendations for the varieties that work best in your geographical area.
Pests and Diseases
American hazelnut shrubs are somewhat pest-resistant, but several insects might be spotted on these plants, including leaf beetles, aphids, and moth caterpillars, although the damage is often only cosmetic.
Many birds, including blue jays, woodpeckers, and quail, feast on the nuts, while deer and rabbits are known to eat the twigs and leaves.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
American hazelnut is a desirable plant for wildlife gardens due to the edible and nutritious small nuts it produces, and the shelter and nesting sites it provides for birds and other animals. This species also does well for creating a visual screen or border when planted in hedgerows, displaying colorful foliage in the fall.
- Medicinal uses
Native Americans used Corylus americana for medicinal purposes, such as hives, biliousness, diarrhoea, cramps, hay fever, childbirth, hemorrhages, prenatal strength and teething, to induce vomiting and to heal cuts.
- Culinary uses
The nuts are edible raw, although smaller than the more commonly cultivated filberts (Corylus maxima, Corylus colurna, Corylus avellana, and hybrids thereof).
IV. Harvesting and Storage
American hazelnuts ripen over a six-week period in September and October. Watch for the first nuts to fall to the ground and begin monitoring the shrubs for ripe nuts daily. If you plan to pick up the nuts that drop to the ground each day, you might have a bad surprise—the animals and birds are likely to beat you to them. Instead, leave those first nuts on the ground for the animals and harvest the ripe nuts directly from the plant.
Ripe nuts start to turn brown while the leaves around them remain green. Twist the nut and leaf clusters to harvest the nuts. Don’t pick the nuts early because they won’t taste good. If you aren’t sure whether the nuts are ripe, shake the branches of the shrub gently while holding a container underneath to catch the ripe hazelnuts as they fall. Leave the nuts or nut clusters in a single layer in a warm, dry area for a couple of weeks until they are completely dry, and then remove any remaining leaves and the husks. Discard any nuts with cracking or holes or damage of any kind.
Eat the nuts—raw or roasted—right away or store them in the refrigerator for up to one year and use them in delicious recipes.
