Beaked Hazel
Deciduous shrub reaching 2-5 m tall. Features oval, doubly-serrate leaves and produces edible hazelnuts enclosed in distinctive beaked husks. Male flowers appear as catkins in early spring. Prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soils and partial shade. Provides food for wildlife and humans. Suitable for woodland edges, naturalized areas, and understory plantings. Native to northern and western North America.
Plant Details
Bloom Colour: Yellow-Green (catkins)
Bloom Time: Early-Spring
Sun Requirements: Part-Sun to Shade
Moisture: Moist-Drained
Phenology: Male catkins visible through winter. Female flowers appear early April. Leaves emerge mid-May. Beaked nuts mature September. Yellow fall color develops October. New catkins form in fall.
Wildlife Value: Nuts eaten by numerous wildlife species; provides cover and nesting sites; early season catkins support native bees
Habit Over Time: Similar in form to C. americana but typically more upright and less spreading. Forms a multi-stemmed shrub with stems emerging from the base in a vase-like pattern. The branching structure becomes increasingly open toward the top, allowing other plants to grow beneath. Suckers less vigorously than C. americana, maintaining a more defined footprint.
Height: Medium to Tall (6-12 feet)