The Hazelnut Tree brings charm, abundance, and year-round beauty to any garden, offering lush green foliage, graceful catkin blooms in late winter, and clusters of delicious hazelnuts by fall. Typically growing 10–20 feet tall with a similar spread, this versatile tree can be shaped as a multi-stem shrub or trained into a small, sculpted tree, adding structure and elegance to your landscape. Its catkins appear before the leaves, creating a soft golden display that signals the earliest hints of spring, while the developing nuts form in pretty husks ornament the trees during growing season. Hazelnuts for are easy to grow, begin producing quickly, and feel rewarding when harvesting fresh nuts right from your yard. Their compact size makes them perfect for homesteads big or small, while supporting pollinators and wildlife. The appeal of growing your own hazelnuts is irresistible—nothing beats cracking into fresh, homegrown nuts that are far sweeter, richer, and more aromatic than store-bought varieties, all from a beautiful tree that enhances your landscape every single year. Also Known As: Common Hazel, European Filbert, Hazelnut, Cobnut, Filbert, Spanish Nut, Hazel Tree, Pontic Nut, Coryllus Nut. Plant Name: Tree, Hazelnut (Yamhill & McDonald) Latin Name: Corylus avellana Days to Germinate: 14-28 Years to Fruit: 3 - 5 Years Plant Height: 10 - 15 Feet Spread: 8 - 13 Feet Growth Habit: Upright USDA Zones: 4-9 Lifespan: Perennial Brand: TomorrowSeeds Sunlight: Full Sun, Partial Shade Pollination: Heirloom, Open-Pollinated GMO: No Fungicide-Treated Seeds*: No Seeds Packed For**: 2026 *Fungicide-treated seeds protect the seedlings from diseases until they are up and growing. Do not eat treated seeds. **Seeds are freshly packed for the growing season of the year listed. Seeds are still viable beyond pack date. Store in a cool and dry location such as the refrigerator or basement to best preserve germination rates. Planting Instructions: Soil Preparation: Choose a clear, sunny location that is not in the shade of other trees and receives at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. Trees establish roots better in sandy, well-drained soils rather than heavy, poorly drained soil. Remove weeds, large rocks, and litter from the planting area. Leave small weeds and dead grass, they will enrich the soil when turned under. Spade or till the soil 6-8 inches deep. Loosening the soil will help the plant establish strong roots. If the soil is heavy or clay-like, mix in some sand or compost to improve drainage. Optionally, either form rows of soil beds or hills 4-6 inches high and at least 20 feet apart. This formation of ridges will help with drainage, ensure good airflow, and make harvesting or maintenance easier. Planting: Starting Indoors: Seeds require a warm, moist stratification followed by cold, moist stratification to break dormancy. To warm-stratify seeds, lightly moisten a mix of peat or sand and place the seeds inside a sealed plastic bag with the medium. Keep the seeds in a warm spot (around 70F-86F / 20C-30C) for 30 days. Check periodically to ensure the medium stays damp but not soggy. After the warm period, move the mixture to a refrigerator for the cold stratification, keeping the seeds at 35F-40F for 60-90 days. After the stratification period,sow seeds in small pots with moist potting soil and in a warm, sunny location that is at least 65F, keeping the soil moist, or directly sow outdoors in prepared soil. Once the seedlings have developed a few sets of leaves and are at least 6 inches in height, harden off seedlings then transplant outdoors in the spring, in a sunny location when temperatures are consistently above 60F. To transplant seedlings, prepare a transplant hole outdoors in a sunny, permanent location. Remove the plants carefully from the pots or flats and set them in the transplant holes, burying some of the stem in the ground. Pack the soil loosely around the plant and leave a slightly sunken area around each plant to hold water. Water the plants after transplanting. Directly Sowing: The two-step stratification process (warm followed by cold) can be attempted by sowing the seeds in late summer for natural stratification but this may result in a lower success rate than indoor stratification prior to sowing. Planting Depth: 1 inch Within-Row Spacing: 15-20 feet Between-Row Spacing: 20 feet Care During the Season: Hazelnut trees thrive with steady, simple care throughout the growing season: keep the soil consistently moist during spring and early summer, especially for young trees, while ensuring good drainage to prevent waterlogging. Apply a layer of mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds, but keep it a few inches away from the trunk. Provide full sun for the best nut production and prune lightly in late winter to shape the tree and remove dead or crossing branches. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer if growth seems weak, and monitor for common pests like aphids or filbert worms, treating early if needed. Harvesting: Harvest hazelnuts in late summer to early fall, typically when the nut clusters begin to turn brown and the husks loosen their grip. Once the nuts start dropping naturally, gather them from the ground or gently shake branches to encourage ripe nuts to fall—hazelnuts are ready when they detach easily. Remove any remaining husks by hand and spread the nuts out in a single layer to dry in a cool, well-ventilated area for a week or two, which improves flavor and storage quality. Avoid picking green nuts still tightly held in their husks, as they haven’t fully matured. After drying, store hazelnuts in a cool, dry place or refrigerate for long-term freshness.
