Beaked Hazelnut is a deciduous shrub found in the dry rocky woodlands, forests, and swamps in Canada and the U.S.A. In NC it is found in the Piedmont and mountain areas. It can form thickets if the root suckers are not removed. Separate male and female flowers bloom and early spring and are followed by an edible nut that matures in fall. It is enclosed in a husk that extends outward to form a beak giving it the common name. This plant prefers acidic moist soil with good drainage in full sun to partial shade. Due to its thicket-forming habit, it is best used in naturalized sites or to form a hedge or barrier. They are grown commercially for the nut and used in wildlife preserves to provide food. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Japanese beetles can defoliate portions of the tree.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 14 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Spreading
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Up to 4-inch long oval to nearly round leaves have doubly serrated margins and rounded or heart-shaped bases. They are bright green and usually hairy along the veins.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Flower form
Catkin; Insignificant
Flower detail
Male flowers are yellowish drooping catkins and the tiny red female flowers are mostly concealed in bracts. Blooms from February to April
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Fruit on female plants is a hard edible nut up to 1/2 inch long enclosed in a leafy, hairy, light green husk that extends beyond the nut by at least one inch to form a beak. Displays from September to October
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
The twigs are light brown, sometimes with glandular hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Canada, U.S.A.
Wildlife value
Fruits are eaten by squirrels, deer, grouse and pheasant.
Attracts
Butterflies; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Nuts
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Nut
Edibility
Nuts are edible
Uses (ethnobotany)
Native Americans used the nuts for food, the wood for arrows and other items and the shoots were twisted into rope. It was also used medicinally.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Edible Garden; Native Garden
Design feature
Hedge
Garden tags
#deciduous shrub #deciduous #NC native #native shrub #food source fall #food source herbage #food source hard mast fruit #FACU Piedmont Mountains #security plant #spreading #naturalized area #Coastal FACU #thicket