American hazelnut tree

Bring beauty, biodiversity, and delicious homegrown nuts to your landscape with the American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)—a hardy, adaptable native shrub‑tree valued for its ornamental charm and exceptional wildlife benefits. This multi‑stemmed deciduous plant forms a naturally rounded shape, produces abundant edible nuts, and thrives in a wide range of garden conditions. It’s an ideal choice for eco‑friendly gardens, edible landscapes, wildlife plantings, and naturalized borders.

Why You’ll Love the American Hazelnut

Reliable Nut Producer: Yields rich, sweet nuts enclosed in leafy husks—excellent for fresh eating, roasting, or grinding into flour. Nuts mature from July through fall, depending on climate.
Perfect Size for Home Landscapes: Typically grows 8–16 feet tall with a spread of 8–15 feet, forming an attractive, rounded, multi‑stemmed form.
Wildlife Magnet: Nuts feed squirrels, deer, turkeys, grouse, foxes, pheasants, and many songbirds. Dense branching provides excellent cover and nesting habitat.
Easy & Adaptable: Grows well in full sun to part shade and tolerates clay soils, dry or moist woodlands, and naturalized plantings. Low maintenance and native to eastern North America.

Perfect For

Edible landscapes & homesteads
Native & wildlife gardens
Hedgerows and naturalized borders
Multi‑species orchard plantings
Pollinator‑friendly yards

Growing Info

Plant in average, well‑drained soil with full sun for the best nut production; partial shade also tolerated.
The species spreads by underground rhizomes, forming attractive thickets unless suckers are thinned.
Because flowers are not self‑fertile, two or more plants enhance cross‑pollination and yield.
Hardy in USDA Zones 4–9.

What Makes It Special

Unlike many ornamentals, the American Hazelnut offers both high ecological value and high human value—providing food, habitat, beauty, and harvests all in one plant. Native, durable, and delicious, it’s one of the most rewarding shrubs you can grow.