What can be better than an comestible works , aboriginal to Piedmont Virginia , that can be grown as a Dubya or minor tree in your thousand or base orchard ? The American filbert ( Corylus americana)grows in most of the eastern half of the United States and is relatively hardy , disease resistive , and adapts to various growing conditions . You may encounter tasty hazelnuts in grocery stores or as the ingredient in Nutella . However , commericially available hazelnuts commonly come from Oregon or Turkey and would belike be either the European filbert / hazelnut tree ( Corylus avellana ) or a hybrid , the most vulgar hybrid in commercial-grade product beingC.avellana x maxima . ( Note that theCorylus avellanais name to as either the European filbert or European cobnut ) . These commercially - acquire nuts have been select for their larger size and better taste . All hazelnut tree can be eat raw , roast , or in sunbaked goods and granola , although one North Dakota orchardist draw his “ gaga hazelnut ” as producing a “ bitter nut case . ”
Our aboriginal Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree has alternative simple leaves that are 2½ to 5 inches long , with serated edges in an ellipse form . The ½-inch browned nut is enclosed in a husk that starts green , turning to brownness as it ripens and opens . It needs sun or fond shade with moist soil and a moderate Ph . It often grows in cluster 3 - 12 foot high . If a tree is want , you may cut back the stems that grow from the base of the plant until the tree produces enough shade so it will no longer acquire sprouts . This could require several years ’ solitaire , and it ’s not clear to me how readily our aboriginal hazelnut can be shaped into a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . European filberts and loan-blend often are commercially cultivated as trees . surrender colour varies in hazelnuts , including yellows , bolshie , and orange .
enquiry revealed that my two bush are both Male with 1- to 3 - in light-colored brown catkins that appear well before the leave . female person have invisible , lean crimson ament that look like threads . Since pollenation is by wind and requires both male and distaff plant , I ’ve produced no en .
aboriginal shrubs acquire screwball for birds , squirrel and other wildlife . Corylus americanahas no significant louse or disease problems although the greenery may draw leafhoppers and others insects as well as deer .
If you desire to grow the undecomposed nuts for eating , the situation becomes a little more complicated due to the Eastern Filbert Blight ( EFB ) . luckily for our nativeCorylus americana , the Blight does little or no damage to it , although the aboriginal works does entertain this disease and would menace its cousins .
For a detailed account of the Eastern Filbert Blight , see“Hazelnut ( Corylus avellana)-Eastern Filbert Blight ” atPacific NW Ext./handbooks.org//Hazelnut - Eastern Filbert Blight . There are repellent cultivars and spray program that promise control . However , if you opt to grow anything other thanCorylus americana , you must select your cultivar and pollinator cautiously .
You ’ve in all likelihood heard of a cob congeneric that is pop with ornamental gardeners . The distorted stems of Harry Lauder ’s Walking Stick ( Corylus avellana ‘ Contorta ’ ) , a sport of the European hazelnut , make it an interesting winter specimen that we can grow here in our region . Please note , however , that contorted ornamental hazelnuts can be infected with Eastern Filbert Blight .
But back to our blight - resistant American aborigine . If you ’re going to give the American hazelnut a try , I suggest plant both male and distaff shrubs together , thus creating a love nest produce nuts without taking extra distance . I find close mowing controls the spreading stem . However , at harvest home metre you will have to contend with squirrels and their fellow thieves . Be forewarned .
References :
“ American Hazelnut,”U.S.Dept . Agr . Natural Resources Conservation Service / Plant Guide
The Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium , www.arborday.org / programs / hazelnuts / consortium
” Eastern Filbert Blight,”Univ . Wisc . Ext.(2016 )
“ Edible Shrubs for your Landscape,”National Gardening Association / garden.org(recommends the hazelbert )
“ Plant of the calendar week : Harry Lauder ’s Walkingstick,”Univ . Ark. Ext./www.uaex.edu
