From the Greek word korylos, which means helmet, referring to the husk covering the nut. Avella is derived from Avella Vecchia, a city east of Naples where cultivation was abundant. Corylus avellana is a large deciduous shrub that is commonly known as the European Hazel. It is native to the British Isles, Western Asia, and as far south as the Iberian Peninsula. It is famous along with other species of the genus Corylus for its production of hazelnuts (cobnuts) though avellana is the most commonly used for production. It enjoys full sun conditions and produces suckers that may need to be pruned. The shrub produces a thicket of multiple shoots which can grow out of hand if not pruned. In addition to the commercial produced variety, there are several varieties that can be used in the home landscape. Both male and female flowers can be found on this plant. They bloom in late winter to early spring on the still bare branches. The female flowers are inconspicuous, with only one tenth of an inch of red visible, while the male flowers can be somewhat showy with their greenish-yellow flowers a sight for the winter garden. They become more yellow as they release pollen. The male flowers can be found in the form of a catkin with the inconspicuous female flowers are just above the catkins. Grown in Europe for the production of nuts, the varieties or cultivars found in the US are typically lacking the desired taste. They are however, roasted and eaten by some. Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Spreading by suckers, this plant can become weedy if the suckers are not removed. The most common insect found on this plant is the Japanese beetle, that devour the leaves. Eastern Filbert blight, black knot, crown gall, apple mosaic virus and leaf spot are something of an issue. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Rounded
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Orbicular; Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The rounded leaves have soft hair on both the top and bottom.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Catkin
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Yellow-brown male catkins hang on all winter. They are yellowish in early winter as they release pollen. The female flowers are inconspicuous, with only its red styles visible.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
The fruit, in the form of a nut, is enclosed by a short leafy involucre, or husk. They appear in clusters of 1 to 5 and are released from the husk in late summer when the nut has ripened. The rounded nuts are about 1" in diameter.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Its bark is smooth.
Stem detail
A multi-trunked shrub with twisting and winding shoots that form a thicket.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe and Western Asia
Wildlife value
Birds, squirrels, and field mice often eat the nuts. Bees are attracted to the pollen.
Attracts
Songbirds
Play value
Buffer; Edible fruit; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Nuts
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Nut
Edibility
Hazelnuts (cobnuts) are edible, and this plant is used in the production of these nuts.