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Characteristics of the tree

Height at maturity
2.5 meters (8 feet)
Spacing
2 meters (6 feet)
Soil
Well drained
Sun / shade
Full sun
Flowering
May
Harvest
Mid-August to late September
Average fruit weight
1g
Fruit color
Brown shell/ cream nut
Years to bear
4
Self-sterile
Latin name
Corylus cornuta
Average diameter of fruit
8mm
Organic

The beaked hazelnut, or simply ‘beaked hazel’ (Corylus cornuta) is an extremely cold-hardy hazelnut shrub, native to Canada. It is also shade-tolerant, and more disease-resistant than the filbert or common hazelnut.

Height at maturity
2.5 meters (8 feet)
Spacing
2 meters (6 feet)
Soil
Well drained
Sun / shade
Full sun
Flowering
May
Harvest
Mid-August to late September
Average fruit weight
1g
Fruit color
Brown shell/ cream nut
Years to bear
4
Self-sterile
Latin name
Corylus cornuta
Average diameter of fruit
8mm
Organic

Although small in size, the nuts of beaked hazelnut are of good quality, and are very tasty. They grow within a green husk, whose long ‘beak’ has given rise to the name of this species. The nuts are ready to harvest in late August or early September. You can expect a yield of 5-6 Kg per tree.

The husk of the beaked hazel is covered with small prickly hairs, which can cause irritation when harvesting with bare hands. Wearing gloves is therefore essential.

If you are living in a zone 3 or warmer area, we suggest trying the hazelbert, as it produces bigger nuts; unless your project calls for specifically native trees.

The beaked hazelnut is a very cold-hardy shrub, surviving cold temperatures at least as low as -50°C in the northern areas of its native range. It will generally not grow to more than 3 metres (8 feet) in height, making it a good choice if you are searching for a tree to plant underneath electric lines! As well as being the most cold-hardy of hazelnut species, it is more disease-resistant than the filbert or common hazelnut.

The beaked hazel is moderately shade-tolerant, and does not do well in very open areas that become too hot and dry. However, do keep in mind that although it will grow with some shade (not all day shade!) its hazelnut harvest will be heavily reduced.

If you wish your beaked hazel to yield high quantities of nuts, it would be preferable to plant it in an area where it is exposed to a good amount of sun.

These small nut trees are well suited for making a beautiful hazel hedge around or in front of your property – a good alternative to the cedar hedge. If you wish to do this, the trees should be planted every 2 metres (6 feet) apart. If you are in a hurry for them to fill the space quickly, you can reduce the spacing between each bush and plant them 1 metre (3 feet) apart.

If you wish to have a hazelnut harvest from your beaked hazel trees, you must plant at least two that are genetically different. It’s as simple as that! As we propagate our nut trees with seeds, all our beaked hazelnut shrubs are genetically different from each other. Therefore, any two beaked hazelnut shrubs that you order from us will pollinate one another.

Please note that the hazelbert is not compatible with the beaked hazel for cross-pollination – you will need a second beaked hazelnut.

Beaked hazel grows as a shrub with an upright bearing. It will reach around 3 metres in height at most, with a spread of about 2 metres. This illustration shows a 20-year-old beaked hazel shrub that has attained its maximum height.

You should note that this illustration is meant only to give a general indication of what you can expect, and the growth of your tree might look somewhat different. The development of a tree depends on the soil type, irrigation, fertilisation and climatic conditions. What we show here is based on our observation of the growth of beaked hazel in zone 4, in rather poor soil. In zone 2, growth will probably be slower, while in a rich soil it could be faster.

Croissance d'un noisetier hybride

All our beaked hazel trees are sold bare-root, without pots. They have been cultivated directly in our soil. Bare-root trees must be taken out of the ground and shipped during their period of dormancy, which is why we only ship trees in the spring. A big advantage with these kinds of trees is that they take up very little space, and can therefore be easily shipped by mail all over Canada!

This photograph shows a 2-foot beaked hazel tree, just like one that you might receive. Depending on the height you choose at the time of purchase, the tree might be somewhat taller (3-5 feet). It might also be somewhat smaller (closer to 1 foot) depending on availability at the time of order preparation.

noisetier long bec racines nues beaked hazel bare rooted

Beaked hazel can be planted at every 2 meters (6 feet). If you only have space to plant one you can plant two in the same hole. They will grow to form one slightly larger bush, but since there will be two different genetics, you will get the necessary cross-pollination to get hazelnuts!

Beaked hazel requires a well-drained soil for the best growth and plenty of sunlight for good nut
production. The more sun, the more nuts will be produced. The shrub does show a tolerance to partial shade,  just that the production will be less abundant.

Otherwise, it is an extremely easy shrub to grow. It does not require annual pruning, staking, or winter protection.