Corylus chinensis seed

LATIN NAME: CORYLUS CHINENSIS

COMMON NAME: Chinese Hazel

The Chinese hazel hangs the slender, yellow catkins in the early spring, the broad, heart-shaped leaves following, and the large, sweet nuts that ripen in the bristly husks through the autumn. The tree grows into the tall, round-headed tree of the mountain forests, the bark stays smooth and grey, and the whole plant carries the generous, old-woodland look of the hazels. The nuts are large and sweet, and they have been gathered for the table for the ages. It likes the sun or the part shade, and the deep, rich, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the birch family, the hazels have a steady place in the nut-crop research, and the Chinese hazel appears in the studies of the large-kernel species and the woodland flora. The research covers the nut chemistry and the seed biology, along with the growth of the tree in the plantations, while the ecologists track the autumn nuts that carry the wildlife. The horticulturists value the big, sweet kernels, and the growers of the hardy nut trees keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the cool woodland, the Chinese hazel feeds the forest and the family both. The large, sweet kernels have been prized for the table and the baking for the ages, the nuts feed the squirrels and the birds, and the broad crown gives the generous shade. The young stems serve the weaving and the walking sticks. Sweet, generous and old-woodland in character.

The Chinese hazel seeds need the cold treatment before the sowing, a few months in the damp, cool place which wakes the hard nuts. Sow them into the shallow pot of coarse, gritty mix, cover them well, and keep the pot in the bright, cool spot. The seedlings rise with the broad, heart-shaped leaves, and they grow on steadily. Stand the young trees in the sunny, rich ground, and the first nuts come within the few years.

To grow the Chinese hazel from seed, sow the large, hard seeds singly into the shallow pot of coarse, gritty mix, then cover them well, keep the pot in the bright, cool spot and water gently. The seedlings come through within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. Grow the young trees on in the sunny, rich ground, and the sweet nuts will hang the branches over the years.

Uses: medicine. Edible. Ornamental