Hazelnut, American, Bare Root

American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)

American hazelnut brings edible nuts into a manageable shrub layer. Its suckering stems suit informal hedges and food-forest edges where a wider colony is welcome.

Key Characteristics

Small nuts worth sharing

Leafy husks enclose the nuts, which attract squirrels, turkeys, and other wildlife. Seedlings vary in kernel size and production rather than matching a commercial cultivar.

Several seedlings for pollination

Yellow-brown male catkins and tiny red female flowers appear before the leaves. Hazelnuts are wind-pollinated and need genetically different partners; plant several seedlings, not divisions of a single plant.

Shape the hedge over time

Full sun improves nut production, although plants tolerate shade. Thin selected stems and root suckers when you need access for harvesting or a more open hedge.

Product Details

• Native range / origin: Eastern and central North America
• Plant type: Deciduous perennial shrub
• Sun: Full Sun; Part Sun/Shade; Full Shade; full sun is best for nut production.
• Soil moisture: Medium; Medium-Dry; see site guidance above.
• Mature height: 9–12 feet, sometimes taller
• Bloom: February–March–April; Yellow, Brown, Red
• Fruit / seed: Small edible hazelnuts in leafy husks; kernel size and production vary among seedlings.
• Harvest: Late summer–autumn
• Pollination: Cross-pollination required; plant at least two genetically different American hazelnuts, preferably several.
• Hardiness: USDA zones 4–9
• Stock: 6-16" Seedling; 16"+ Premium Seedling. Premium describes the supplied plant grade, not a different variety or a guaranteed earlier harvest.

Planting and Ongoing Care

Keep bare roots moist until planting, spread roots naturally, and water thoroughly. Maintain a mulched area clear of grass, with mulch pulled away from stems. Base feeding on a soil test; our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend is optional and should be used according to its label, away from direct contact with bare roots.

Protect young plants from browsing and monitor foliage before treating insect damage. Early catkins are part of wind pollination; this is not primarily a nectar shrub.

For ideas on combining planting layers, explore our fruit-tree guild guide. Give the nut tree's mature canopy and roots priority when arranging companions.