Hazelnut

Corylus cornuta

Beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) is a shrub native to most of North America, from deep shade to sunlit forest edges, streambanks, and moist slopes. It often grows as a dense thicket, and can reach a height of three to fifteen feet. The leaves of beaked hazelnut are broad, oval, and double-toothed. The underside of the leaves is fuzzy. This, along with its leaves' sharply double-serrated edges, differentiates it from other shrubs [1][2].

In early spring, male catkins form, releasing pollen before the leaves of the plant have grown in. Small red female flowers also form in the early spring. These later develop into the plant's hazelnuts. The nuts are each individually enclosed in a husk of thick bristly hairs that thins into a long, slender point. The tip of the husk resembles a bird's beak, hence the plant's name. The nuts ripen in late summer or early fall. They have a rich, oily flavor, and are sweet but smaller than domesticated hazelnuts.

Hazelnuts were often collected by Native American for a dependable and nutritious food source. The nuts can be eaten raw or roasted, and stored to last through the winter. The wood of beaked hazelnut is strong and flexible, making it useful for arrow shafts, fishing spears, and basket frameworks [2][3]. The plant is also an important part of the diet of various wildlife: squirrels and chipmunks store and eat the nuts, and they are also eaten by birds and other animals. It is a cover plant for wildlife, and its dense thickets also provide nesting areas.

The plant can help to stabilize banks and prevent erosion, along slopes and waterways. It also is part of a healthy understory and supports a diverse population of plants. A food plant, useful timber, and part of the natural landscape, Corylus cornuta is a keystone plant of North American woodlands.

[1] Native Plants PNW. “Beaked Hazelnut, Corylus cornuta.” https://nativeplantspnw.com/beaked-hazelnut-corylus-cornuta/

[2] USDA NRCS. “Corylus cornuta – Beaked Hazelnut Plant Guide.” https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_coco6.pdf

[3] Armstrong, Chelsey G., Wal’ceckwu Marion Dixon, and Nancy J. Turner. “Management and Traditional Production of Beaked Hazelnut (k’áp’xw-az’, Corylus cornuta; Betulaceae) in British Columbia.” Human Ecology 46, no. 4 (2018): 547-559.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-018-0015-x