History: American hazelnuts are native to eastern and central Canada and the US. The nuts are an important food source to many animals and as such the shrubs are most often cultivated for planting in native and wildlife gardens. Indigenous peoples also use the shrub for medicinal purposes.
Why We Grow It: This thicket forming native shrub produces nutritious hazelnuts and fodder for animals. It is an excellent species to incorporate into a pasture/grazing system.
Canadian Hardiness Zone: 5
Soil Preference: Rich loam is preferred, but is adaptable to different soil types
Growth Habits and Disease Resistance: Shrub reaches 3m tall, moderate to high vigour
Sun/Shade: Full sun to partial shade (approx. 6-10 hours of sun daily), but does best in full sun
Pollination:Requires at least one other tree to pollinate and produce nuts, will produce more if other Corylus spp are nearby
Ripens: October
Storage:Keeps up to six months in the fridge
Recommended Use: Cooking, baking, preserving, wheat flour replacement using the nuts, animal fodder using the vegetative growth or nuts
