American hazelnut

American Hazelnut - Corylus americana, Watkins Regional Park, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

The nuts of American hazelnut, with the scientific name of Corylus americana, have a higher nutritional value than acorns and beechnuts.

Taxonomy

• Genus:Corylus
• species:Americana

Animal and human food

• These nuts are not only eaten by humans but also by squirrels, foxes, deer, northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse, turkey, woodpeckers, pheasants, and deer.
• The leaves, twigs, and catkins are browsed by rabbits, deer, and moose.
• The male catkins are a winter food for turkey and ruffed grouse.
• The dense, low growth habit provides cover and nesting sites for many wildlife species.

Use in emolients

• Extractives of American hazelnut and their physically modified derivatives, primarily glycerides of the fatty acids, are used for emollients.

Other derivatives

• Other derivatives, such as tinctures, concretes, absolutes, essential oils, oleoresins, terpenes, terpene-free fractions, distillates, and residues are used for botanicals.

Ornamental value

• American hazelnut has long been valued as an ornamental and for planting in naturalized settings.
• It grows in sun or partial shade and is useful for borders because of its colonial tendency.
• The leaves turn orange to red or purple in the fall

• 

  Small bud-like female catkins and hanging male catkins

• 

  Fruit cluster (nuts enclosed in leaflike bracts)

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