Ornamental Filberts & Hazels
There are so many Hazelnut farms in the Willamette Valley that it is difficult to avoid them when traveling through its rolling hills and winding highways.
Plant care & info
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Corylus (CORE-ill-us)
Common: Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, Filbert, Hazelnut
Native to US, Europe, Turkey, China.
- 15 species of deciduous shrubs & trees
- Male & female flowers are on the same plant.
- Male flowers occur in catkins that bloom in winter, yellow or pink.
- Female flowers are on lateral buds w/ prominent red stigmas
- Nuts set in clusters, each nut surrounded by involucre (modified leaves/bracts).
- Plant 2 different varieties that bloom in tandem if growing for nut production
- Varies depending on species.
- Shrubby types grow to around 8-12′.
- Tree forms vary from 15′ to 50′.
Plant in sun-part shade.
Eastern Filbert Blight has long plagued Oregon’s Hazelnut orchards, but recently varieties have been developed that have strong resistance to the disease. Portland Nursery is fortunate to offer only blight resistant Filberts used for nut production in 2012.
Corylus cornuta v. californica Western Hazelnut (our native Filbert) & Corylus colurna Turkish Hazel are resistant to Filbert Blight.
Filberts are susceptible to a number of additional disease problems. Most occur in the orchard setting (a lot of the same kind of plant grown in one place). Powdery Mildew is the most common problem in garden settings.
Trees will begin producing nuts in about 2-3 years. Nuts ripen in autumn and are ready for harvesting when the husk can be removed easily. You may either hand pick or lay a cloth under the tree and tap the limbs to make the nuts drop. Nets may be used to keep the squirrels away.
Trees can grow up to 20′ but can be kept at 10-12′ x 10-12′ and should be planted no more than 15′ apart for good pollination.
Sun-part shade, Z4.
Hazelnuts are an important crop for farmers in the Northwest, and it is a great place to grow them; indeed the Northwest native form of Corylus is rampant in the Portland area and all through the valley. There are several garden-worthy ornamental Hazelnuts hailing from Turkey and Europe as well.
Explore More Filberts & Hazels
Corylus Avellana 'Contorta'
Corylus Avellana ‘Contorta’
Contorted Filbert, Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick
These are some of our favorite plants for winter interest because the branches twist and turn in such a beautiful way.
They carry catkins through winter that elongate when weather warms and yellow flowers bloom. Leaves are dull green, so not much to look at during summer.
Grows 8-10′ x 8-10′, sun-part shade, Z4.
Corylus Avellana 'Red Dragon'
Corylus Avellana ‘Red Dragon’
Finally a contorted Filbert that is resistant to Filbert Blight! ‘Red Dragon’ boasts wonderful curling gray branches, dangling pink catkins in early spring and dark purple leaves with a matte surface. Developed at OSU.
Grows 8′ x 5′, Sun-pt shade, Z4.
Corylus Colurna: Turkish Hazel
Corylus Colurna – Turkish Hazel
The Turkish Hazel is an easy to grow shade tree with decorative yellow catkins in late winter and nuts in summer. An excellent choice for wildlife habitat, it provides cover and food for birds and squirrels. It’s resistant to Eastern Filbert Blight and adjusts to various soil conditions smoothly.
Grows 35-50′ in a pyramid shape – Sun-part shade, Z4.
Western Hazelnut
Corylus Cornuta v. Californica – Western Hazelnut
Read our feature on this native Corylus
Visit our Filbert page for info on edibles!
