Programs

Locating Wild Hazelnuts in Your Area

The Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium is looking to expand our collection of Corylus Americana, American hazelnuts. Help us increase the genetic diversity of our breeding pool by locating wild American Hazelnuts in your area.

Eastern Filbert Blight Resistant Hazelnuts

The Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium is looking to expand our collection of Corylus Americana, American hazelnuts. Please help us increase the genetic diversity of our breeding pool by locating wild American Hazelnuts in your area.

How to Find American Hazelnuts

Native American Hazelnuts are found though out the Midwest, East, and Southeast of the United States and Canada. Please refer to the map and discover if you might have American hazelnuts growing in your state.

Native Range of American Hazelnuts

Native range of American hazelnuts.

What American Hazelnuts Look Like

American hazelnut or American filbert is native to most of the Eastern part of the United States (see above). Here are a few pictures of what a typical hazelnut looks like.

American Hazelnut Leaf

Leaves alternate, heart shape. Oval, 8–12 cm long and 4.5–8 cm wide, doubly serrate, tip pointed (acute or acuminate); back of leaf paler, round involucres.

American Hazelnut Sucker

Deciduous shrub, 8–15 ft (2.5–4.5 m) tall, suckers from roots and therefore wide spreading, width of 5–10 ft (1.5–3 m) or more, rounded.

American Hazelnut Nut

Nut: Brown color globe like with a smooth exterior.

American Hazelnut Catkin

Male catkins, appear before leaves 5 to 8 cm hang from shrub.

American Hazelnut Flower

Female flowers arise from axillary buds before leaves appear, 6–12 flower/bud, red stigma.

What to Do Once You Have Identified an American Hazelnut

Hazelnuts on Ground

If you think you have identified an American hazelnut, email the Consortium with a subject of “Wild American Hazelnut Found”.

In this email you should include the following information.

  1. Your name.
  2. Location where you found hazelnut (include city, state, address/area, if possible).
  3. Size of hazelnut shrub (height and width).
  4. Size of nuts if you can find any (diameter and weight).
  5. Pictures of hazelnut include identifying features such as catkins, flowers, leaves, nuts or other defining characteristics.

After reviewing your information, we will contact you and let you know if we would like a sample of your wild hazelnut and the proper procedures to follow.