Hazelnut - Beaked

Corylus cornuta, commonly called beaked hazel or beaked filbert, is native from British Columbia to Quebec south to Illinois and Georgia. It is a small, suckering, deciduous shrub that is typically found in rich thickets, woodland borders, along streams and in clearings. As the common name suggests, the easiest way to identify this shrub is from the fruit: the husk surrounding the nut extends beyond the nut by at least one inch to form a beak. Nuts ripen in late August and September. Leaves turn variable but usually unexceptional shades of yellow in fall. The drooping male catkins are pale yellow-gray and the tiny female catkins with protruding red stigmas are largely concealed. The nuts from this plant may be roasted and eaten in a variety of ways.