Description + Attributes:
The American hazelnut (also known as the American filbert) is a native shrub of the eastern United States. The tasty nuts are highly prized by cooks for their easy-to-crack shells and small, sweet kernel. Squirrels love them as well ... most likely for the same reasons. Hazelnut hedges can be used as windbreaks, visual screens, and to attract wildlife. If you're interested in planting hazelnuts for their nuts, be sure you have a bit of space. You'll need to plant 2 or more shrubs to ensure a good crop.
- Yields light brown to rich chestnut brown hazelnuts that typically grow in bunches of 2–3 and range in size from ¼–¾" in diameter
- Can be harvested typically from September to October.
- Will begin producing nuts approximately 2–3 years after planting, 8 years if grown from seed.
- Grows in a rounded shape.
- Takes on a multi-stemmed form with an open, often wide-spreading base.
- Produces red female flowers and yellowish-brown male catkins on the same plant (but it is not self-fertile).
- Should be planted in multiples (2 or 3) to ensure cross-pollination.
Tree Type
Broadleaf
Nut Producing
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Mature Size
Height 15’-18’
& Width 10’-12’
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Growth Rate
Medium/Fast
13”-24”+/ year
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Wildlife Value
The nuts are an excellent food source for many different animals and birds.
PREFERENCES
Full Sun/Partial Shade
Moist, rich, sandy, well drained and clay soils.
Great Drought Tolerance