Corylus colurna seed
LATIN NAME: CORYLUS COLURNA
COMMON NAME: Turkish Hazel, Byzantine Hazel, Constantinople Hazel
The Turkish hazel is one of the finest street trees in the world, and it has a stately, upright beauty that is easy to love. It grows as a tall, deciduous tree, reaching twenty-five to thirty metres, with a narrow, upright form when young, a handsome, fluted trunk with corky, grey bark, and broad, rounded, softly toothed leaves that turn a fine yellow in autumn. In late winter it bears the long, hanging catkins of the hazels, and in autumn it produces clusters of small, edible nuts, wrapped in the familiar green, ragged husks; it is a tree of great presence, tough, long-lived and remarkably tolerant of city conditions, and it is native to the Balkan Peninsula and western Asia, where it has stood along the roads and in the woodlands for centuries.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Turkish hazel has a genuine and growing place in horticultural and agricultural research. As one of the finest street trees in Europe, it has been studied in urban forestry research for its tolerance of city conditions, its growth and its value as an avenue and street tree, while its narrow, upright form and its toughness in the city have made it one of the most dependable trees of the urban landscape. The tree has also been studied in pomology, since it is widely used as a rootstock for cultivated hazelnuts, and researchers have examined its compatibility and its hardiness as a rootstock, supporting the hazelnut industry of Europe, while its fine, valued timber has been studied in forestry for furniture and veneer, and its native range in the Balkans and western Asia has been examined in ecology. For a tree of such usefulness in the city and the orchard, the Turkish hazel has a steady and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the Turkish Hazel from seed, ecologically, the Turkish hazel is a dependable friend to city wildlife. Its catkins feed bees and other early insects, its nuts feed squirrels, birds and small mammals, and its tall canopy gives shelter and nesting sites, while its upright, fluted trunk gives the streets and parks a stately, formal presence. Its economic value is real and varied: the tree is widely planted as a street and avenue tree across Europe, valued for its formal, upright beauty and its toughness in the city, and it is an important rootstock for cultivated hazelnuts, supporting the hazelnut industry, while its fine timber is used for furniture and veneer, and its small nuts may be roasted and eaten. To set the Turkish hazel going, sow the fresh nuts in pots of free-draining compost in autumn, a couple of centimetres deep, and leave the pots outdoors through the winter months.
sow the fresh nuts in pots of free-draining compost in autumn, a couple of centimetres deep, and leave the young hazels outdoors through the winter months.
LATIN NAME: Corylus colurna
COMMON NAME: Turkish Hazel, Byzantine Hazel, Constantinople Hazel
The Turkish hazel is one of the finest street trees in the world, and it has a stately, upright beauty that is easy to love. It grows as a tall, deciduous tree, reaching twenty-five to thirty metres, with a narrow, upright form when young, a handsome, fluted trunk with corky, grey bark, and broad, rounded, softly toothed leaves that turn a fine yellow in autumn. In late winter it bears the long, hanging catkins of the hazels, and in autumn it produces clusters of small, edible nuts, wrapped in the familiar green, ragged husks. It is a tree of great presence, tough, long-lived and remarkably tolerant of city conditions.
The Turkish hazel belongs to the birch family, Betulaceae, and it is native to the Balkan Peninsula and western Asia. It has been widely planted across Europe as an ornamental and street tree, and it is one of the most dependable trees of the urban landscape.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a Turkish hazel from seed is easy and very rewarding. The nuts ripen in autumn and are best sown fresh, since they germinate after a period of cold, moist conditions. Sow them in pots of free-draining compost in autumn, about two centimetres deep, and leave them outdoors through winter in a cold frame or a sheltered, shaded spot. Germination usually begins in spring, with sturdy seedlings. Pot them on as they grow and plant them out in a sunny or partly shaded spot in good soil. A Turkish hazel you have raised from seed will grow into a fine, stately tree, and in time it may even bear its own clusters of hazelnuts.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Turkish hazel has a genuine and growing place in both horticultural and agricultural research. As one of the finest street trees in Europe, it has been studied in urban forestry research for its tolerance of city conditions, its growth and its value as an avenue and street tree, and it is widely used as a rootstock for cultivated hazelnuts, so it has been studied in pomology for its compatibility and its hardiness as a rootstock. The tree has also been studied in forestry for its timber, which is fine and valued for furniture and veneer, and in ecology for its native range in the Balkans and western Asia. For a tree of such usefulness in the city and the orchard, the Turkish hazel has a steady and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the Turkish hazel is a generous tree. Its catkins feed bees and other early insects, its nuts feed squirrels, birds and small mammals, and its tall canopy gives shelter and nesting sites for wildlife.
Its economic value is real and varied. The tree is widely planted as a street and avenue tree across Europe, valued for its formal, upright beauty and its toughness in the city, and it is an important rootstock for cultivated hazelnuts, supporting the hazelnut industry, while its fine timber is used for furniture and veneer. For a grower, the Turkish hazel is a valuable and dependable tree, and for a gardener it brings a stately, formal presence and a crop of little nuts.
Common Name: Turkish hazel Type: Tree Family: Betulaceae Native Range: Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, western Asia Zone: 4 to 7 Height: 40.00 to 80.00 feet Spread: 30.00 to 50.00 feet Bloom Time: March Bloom Description: Yellow (male) Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Suggested Use: Shade Tree, Street Tree Flower: Insignificant Fruit: Showy, Edible Noteworthy Characteristics Corylus colurna, commonly called Turkish hazel or Turkish filbert, is native from southeastern Europe to western Asia. It is a pyramidal deciduous tree that grows to 40-50’ (less frequently to 80’) tall. The trunk is short with dense, horizontal, low branching. Double-toothed, broad ovate to obovate, semi-glossy, bright green leaves (to 5” long) have hair on the veins beneath. Leaves turn variable but usually unexceptional shades of yellow in fall. Corky, mottled, tan to gray bark on mature trunks may flake to reveal an orange-brown inner bark. Monoecious flowers appear in catkins in spring. The male catkins (to 3” long) are not individually showy, but cumulatively can provide much interest in a March landscape. Tiny female catkins are largely hidden. Edible nuts appear in clusters of 3-6 with spiny and hairy involucre husks covering and extending beyond each nut. Nuts may be roasted and eaten, but are commonly left for the squirrels. This tree may be difficult to find in commerce. Other common names include Constantinople hazel and tree hazel. The filbert nuts produced in commerce come from hybrid plants (C. avellana x C. maxima). Genus name comes from the Greek word korylos, or from korys meaning a helmet, in regard to the husk on the nut. Specific epithet is the classical name of hazelnut.