Hazelnut, European Filbert                   KO-ril-us a-ve-LAH-na

• Deciduous shrub/tree, 12-20 ft (3.7-6 m), rounded crown, erect shoots, suckers.  Leaves alternate, simple, broad, roundish, 7.5-10 cm long.  Greenish yellow male flowers (catkins) hang on all winter, are yellowish as they release pollen in early winter.  Female flowers are nearly inconspicuous, the a leafy bract (involucre), ripens in late summer.
• Sun to part shade.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 4      Native to Europe, north Africa, and western Asia.
• This is the commercial hazelnut, essentially the entire US crop is produced in Oregon.   Orchard in flower in winter.
• Corylus: from korylos, the Greek name of the plant;   avellana: of Avella Vecchia, Italy.
• Oregon State Univ. campus: west of Cordley Hall.