Corylus heterophylla

Corylus heterophylla, also known as the Asian hazel, is a species of hazel native to eastern Asia. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 7 m tall. The leaves are rounded, 5–10 cm long and 4–8 cm broad, softly hairy on both surfaces, and with a double-serrate margin. The flowers are produced very early in spring before the leaves, and are monoecious, with single-sex wind-pollinated catkins. Male catkins are pale yellow and 5–12 cm long, female catkins are very small and largely concealed in the buds, with only the bright red 1–3 mm long styles visible. The fruit is a nut, produced in clusters of one to five together, each nut held in a short leafy involucre (husk) which encloses about three quarters of the nut.

The Asian hazel is closely related to the common hazel (Corylus avellana) and is often treated as a subspecies of it. It is distinguished from the common hazel by its hairy leaves, and its leafy nut husks which are deeply cut into fringed lobes.

The nuts are edible, and are similar to the common hazel nuts. They are harvested in the wild, and are also cultivated for their nuts in China and Russia.

Cultivation and uses

The Asian hazel is grown as an ornamental plant for its attractive catkins produced in early spring, before the leaves. The nuts are edible and can be used in cooking or eaten raw. They are also an important source of food for wildlife.

References

• Flora of China: Corylus heterophylla
• Plants for a Future: Corylus heterophylla