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Beaked Hazelnut

Corylus cornuta

Beaked hazelnut is an adaptable understory shrub whose long male catkins dangle through winter and open before the leaves. Its nuts, wrapped in a distinctive bristly beak, feed jays, grouse, and squirrels.

Family
Betulaceae
Type
shrub
Lifespan
perennial
Height
4–12 ft
Spacing
6–12 ft apart
Light
sun, part shade
Soil moisture
dry, moist
Soil pH
acidic, neutral
Bloom
March, April
Bloom colors
yellow, brown
Wildlife value
songbirds, larval host, mammals
Caterpillar hosts
~131 butterfly & moth species
Landscape uses
specimen, hedge or screen, erosion control
Native states
CA, CO, CT, GA, MA, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV