Hazel
Description
A small deciduous tree or large shrub (Corylus avellana, Corylus americana or Corylus maxima) native to the northern hemisphere. Hazel trees are grown ornamentally and for their nuts. The edible hazelnuts, also called filberts, from these deciduous plants produce an oil, (hazelnut oil) that is similar to walnut oil. Hazel wood and branches have been used for making wattle, withy fencing, baskets, and the frames of coracle boats.
All parts of the tree have also been used to produce dyes.
- Leaves: yield yellows to soft browns. Red leaved hazel produce a vivid green on cotton without a mordant.
- Bark and catkins: yield yellow to deep browns with fermentation and an acid bath.
- Husks and shells: yield pale tea color with boiling that can be darkened with iron.
Synonyms and Related Terms
hazel wood; filbert; cob nut; hazelnut oil; Corylus avellana (Common hazel); Corylus americana (American filbert, American hazel); Corylus maxima (European filbert); avellanos (Esp.); hassel (Dan.); Haselstrauch (Deut.); hazelaar (Ned.); hazelnoten (Ned.); leszczyn (Pol.); noisetier (Fr.); nocciolo (It.); aveleira (Port.)
Physical and Chemical Properties
- Large shrubs (to 12 m) or small trees (20-35m)
- Leaves = simple, round with double-serrated margins
- Flowers = pale yellow catkins 5-12 cm long (male trees)
- Nuts = 1-3 cm long and 1-2 cm in diameter, edible
Resources and Citations
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "filbert." Accessed: 30 Oct. 2004 .
- Virginia Tech Dendrology website at www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.htm (accessed Oct. 3, 2005)
- Wikipedia: Hazel (Accessed Oct. 3, 2005, Oct. 2020, May 2026)
- Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- Sew Historically: Red-leaved hazelnut