North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Corylus americana

Corylus americana Walter

american hazelnut, american filbert

Synonym(s): Corylus americana var. indehiscens

Image ID: 13797
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: COAM3
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Corylus americana
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-11-30

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: CORYL
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Corylus
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Hazelnut
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 15-18 species, shrubs and trees, of temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Eurasian species of this genus, C. avellana Linnaeus and C. maxima P. Miller, are the sources of commercial filberts or hazelnuts. They are sometimes cultivated in North America, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Our wild species are also excellent eating, but wild animals, especially squirrels, usually harvest them before they are ripe.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Furlow in FNA (1997); Kubitzki in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993); Whitcher & Wen (2001); Forest & Bruneau (2000); Govaerts & Frodin (1998).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: BETULA
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Betulaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: S.F. Gray 1821
FAMILY COMMON: Birch Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of 6 genera and about 150 species, primarily of subarctic to cold temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but extending through Central America to n. South America. The two subfamilies recognized here are sometimes elevated to family status, as by Govaerts & Frodin (1998).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Furlow in FNA (1997); Furlow (1990)=Z; Hardin (1971)=Y; Govaerts & Frodin (1998); Kubitzki in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 10-16 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Deciduous

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: February-March

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
	x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x		x			x

FRUITING PERIOD: Sept.-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: eastern & central N. America

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: American hazelnut is a suckering shrub that is a good landscape plant with lots of wildlife value. The suckers can be removed to limit its spread. One of the first plants to bloom (in early February, long before the leaves emerge), American hazelnut produces drooping catkins of male flowers and diminutive hot pink female flowers. At least two hazelnut shrubs are needed for nuts. Its small edible hazelnuts are fun to eat if you can get to them before the other critters do. Commonly found along stream banks. The Corylus genus supports up to 124 species of lepidoptera.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 4
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly, Bird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
206	2011-0018	2011-01-27	205	View
839	1985-0506			View
2063	1986-1859			View
3705	1991-0400			View
4470	1992-0626			View
5019	1995-0138			View
5093	1995-0212			View
6043	1995-1174			View
7746	2001-0101	2001-06-07		View

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
205	HORT	2007-10-02	Bryan	View
1473	HORT	2006-10-13	Bryan	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
417	206	34	Poythress	2011-03-09	View
418	206	23	NCBG staff	2011-10-25	View
1589	839	166	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
3390	2063	79	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
3391	2063	142	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
3392	2063	11	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
3393	2063	80	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
3394	2063	9	NCBG staff	1976-10-01	View
6009	3705	199	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
6798	4470	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
7438	5019	202	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
7515	5093	203	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
8693	6043	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
10939	7746	133	NCBG staff	1975-09-01	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: COAM3
USDA Common Name: American Hazelnut
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (MB, ON, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FACU	UPL		FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Corylus americana
COMMON NAME: American Hazelnut, American Filbert
SYNONYMY: [= C, FNA, Il, K1, K2, Pa, RAB, S, Va, W, WV, Y, Z; > C. americana var. americana - F, G; > C. americana var. indehiscens E.J. Palmer & Steyermark - F, G]
PHENOLOGY: Feb-Mar; Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Rocky woodlands, mesic to rich forests and thickets.
COMMENTS: ME west to SK, south to GA, LA, and OK.
RANGE MAP: Corylus americana.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Betulaceae S.F. Gray 1821 (Birch Family)
SUMMARY: A family of 6 genera and about 150 species, primarily of subarctic to cold temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but extending through Central America to n. South America. The two subfamilies recognized here are sometimes elevated to family status, as by Govaerts & Frodin (1998).
REFERENCE: Furlow in FNA (1997); Furlow (1990)=Z; Hardin (1971)=Y; Govaerts & Frodin (1998); Kubitzki in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Corylus L. (Hazelnut)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 15-18 species, shrubs and trees, of temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Eurasian species of this genus, C. avellana Linnaeus and C. maxima P. Miller, are the sources of commercial filberts or hazelnuts. They are sometimes cultivated in North America, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Our wild species are also excellent eating, but wild animals, especially squirrels, usually harvest them before they are ripe.
REFERENCE: Furlow in FNA (1997); Kubitzki in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993); Whitcher & Wen (2001); Forest & Bruneau (2000); Govaerts & Frodin (1998).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Corylus americana in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Corylus americana in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Corylus americana in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Corylus americana in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Corylus americana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Corylus americana

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 13797 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 13797 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 4807 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 4806 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)