Corylus cornuta (Fr: noisetier à long bec | En: beaked hazelnut)

Beaked Hazelnut

Corylus cornuta
Alternative names: Beaked hazel
French: Noisetier à long bec

Beaked Hazelnut is one of two native hazelnut species in our region, and a fantastic choice for edible landscaping or wildlife gardens. This multi-stemmed shrub produces small but tasty nuts, each enclosed in a long, beak-like husk—hence its name.

While the nuts are edible for humans, they are so highly prized by wildlife that they rarely remain on the bush for long. Squirrels, birds, and other small mammals usually strip the shrubs within days of ripening, making this species a key food and habitat plant. It also serves as a host plant for many butterfly and moth species, whose caterpillars provide additional nourishment for birds.

Beaked Hazelnut grows in woodlands, thickets, and riparian edges. It is very adaptable—tolerating full sun to partial shade, and moist to somewhat dry soils once established. It thrives in sandy, loamy, or clay soils, and tolerates both well-drained and poorly drained conditions, as well as slightly alkaline pH levels.

Height & Spread: 2 to 4 m
Bloom time: Early spring (catkins); nuts mature late summer
Light: Full sun to part shade
Moisture: Moist preferred; drought-tolerant once established
Soil: Sandy, loamy, or clay; well-drained to poorly drained
Habitat: Woodlands, thickets, riverbanks
Ecological benefits: Nuts for birds and mammals; caterpillar host plant
Edible: Nuts edible (small but tasty); usually harvested by wildlife