Corylus americana (American hazelnut)

Corylus americana Walter

Corylus americana Walter var. indehiscens Palmer & Steyerm.

American hazelnut

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fagales	Birch, she-oak, beech, walnut, bayberry, others
Family	Betulaceae	Birch family: birches, alders, hazels, hornbeams and hop-hornbeams
Genus	Corylus	From the Greek korylos and the Latin corylus or corulus, “hazel, “ and a Latin name for the hazelnut or filbert. OR from the Greek korylos, or korys, “helmet,” referring to the husk on the nut
Species	americana	American

About plant names...

American hazelnut is native to eastern North America.

Identification: Typically a large multiply branched shrub almost spherical in shape and 8-12' (2.4-3.7 m) high, this hazel sometimes takes the form of a small tree. Leaves are alternate, heart-shaped, with double serrations, 2½-5" (6.3-12 cm) long. They are dark green, turning bright yellow to copper-colored in the fall. Hazelnuts are dioecious: male and female flowers appear on separate plants. Male flowers are yellow-brown catkins up to 8" (20 cm) long and ⅛" (5 mm) around. Female flowers are red, occurring on the tips of twigs, and only about ¼" (6.3 mm) around. Nuts are in small groups of 1 to 4, each about ½" (1.3 cm) around and individually wrapped in a ragged “sack” or husk.

Edibility: Hazelnuts from this species are edible. They are not as large as those from cultivated varieties, but they are just as tasty. The thick shells contain a small, sweet kernel, which may be eaten fresh, roasted, or pressed for an edible oil.

Online References:

Corylus americana on www.carolinanature.com

Corylus americana on Earl J.S. Rook's Flora, Fauna, Earth, and Sky ... The Natural History of the Northwoods

Corylus americana at the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Corylus americana on Native Plant Wildlife Gardening

Corylus americana on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

6/27/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 11 × 7" (27 × 18 cm)

7/15/2019 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, New Long Loop, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 15 cm)

7/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

9/5/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 4½ × 5" (11 × 13 cm)

Corylus americana description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Jul 2020.

6/27/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 9 × 7" (21 × 17 cm)

7/15/2019 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, New Long Loop, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

8/7/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 2½ × 2" (7 × 5.6 cm)

7/15/2019 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, New Long Loop, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

7/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

6/27/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 15 × 10" (39 × 26 cm)

Range: Zones 4-9:

About this map...