Hazelnut, American
Corylus americana
Betulaceae - Birch

Description

Leaves: Dark green above with some pubescence; alternate; simple; large (2-1/2" to 6" in length); egg-shaped to elliptic, tapering to the short apex, heart-shaped to round at base; petiole glandular hairy,1/2" in length.

Twigs/buds: Branches brown, glandular-pubescent when young; pith continuous, 3-sided, and pale to brown. Buds gray to green-brown to purplish; overlapping, ball-like; covered in fine soft hair.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers monoecious; male flower in yellowish brown catkins, 1-1/2" to 3" in length, showy in March; female flower inconspicuous. Fruit a nut; smaller (1/2"), flattened; enclosed within involucre; involucre larger (1" long), downy, and notched; nuts mature in September to October; edible.

Bark: Pale gray-brown, smooth, develops netted pattern over time.

Wood: Unimportant; susceptible to wood decay.

General: Native from New England to Florida. Tends to occur along fencerows and near woodland edges. Shrubby hazelnut with some similarity to Turkish filbert/hazel (C. colurna). Leaves and branches are susceptible to blight.

Landscape Use: Best in non-formal, naturalized areas. Zones 4-9.

Cultivars: 'Bixby', 'Buchanan', 'Potomac', 'Reed'.

Characteristics

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