Life form of common hazel. Zones and places where hazelnuts grow

In the Caucasus and Crimea, large hazel, or Lombard nut, is cultivated, which, like common hazel, is sometimes called hazelnut.

At least a dozen trees have grown on our self-seeding plot, because... nearby there is a huge hazel tree covering several hectares.

Did you know that earrings are male hazel flowers? And I showed the women’s ones to David on Friday, and took a picture at the same time. They are small - a few millimeters. There are no bees yet, or other insects, so they are not trying to attract them. Calculate only on the wind.

Hazelnut is a monoecious plant with dioecious, wind-pollinated flowers.

Male flowers (with 4 stamens) in catkins, bloom 2 - 5 from one bud, drooping, consisting of numerous flowers, overwinter in open buds - catkins. Female flowers are borne at the tops of the current year's shoots in the axils of the bud scales. The female inflorescence is similar in appearance to a bud. The flower consists of a pistil fused with a reduced perianth.

The female flowers are small, consisting of bright red tufts of stigmas, barely visible from the top of the flower bud. The more shaggy the stigma bundles are, the more female flowers are contained in the bud and, therefore, the more nuts will be formed in the infructescence. Stigmas are designed to catch pollen and appear somewhat earlier than the male flowers begin to “collect dust,” but in some varieties it’s the other way around.

An indicator of the successful development of hazelnuts is flowering. The flowering phase begins in April before the leaves bloom. When the air temperature reaches +12* C during the day, male catkins begin to grow up to 3 cm per day. The drier the air, the faster the catkin's stem lengthens. If the weather is rainy and the air is saturated with moisture, then the catkins, despite the warmth, grow slowly - they seem to wait out bad weather (dampness) and postpone flowering until a more favorable time. (Anemophilous pollen is released from the anthers, which crack under the influence of dry air). The length of the earrings reaches 10 cm, they loosen and begin to gather dust, producing about 4 million grains of pollen (and this is only one earring - 4,000,000!). Clouds of pollen are easily carried by the wind from one bush to another. “Pollination” lasts 4-12 days, but nothing: female flowers - bunches of red stigmas - are open for more than 2 weeks and they “catch” a yellow cloud of pollen either from their own or from another plant.

Biological features of hazel (hazelnut)

The cultivation of hazel and hazelnuts is completely the same

Hazelnut is a promising nut crop and is a large shrub. It is found in natural biocenoses of broad-leaved and coniferous-deciduous forests; it develops well under the canopy of trees in the forest, but does not bear fruit in the shade. It grows slowly at first, then faster. The growth rate increases as the root system develops. At 4-5 years of life, the growth of the main axis of the plant weakens. It becomes slanted and gradually dies. By 9-19 years, the upper lateral branches overtake the main axis and a palmate, fan-shaped crown with horizontal branches is formed. The density of the crown is enhanced by the two-row arrangement of leaves and buds. When there is a lack of light, the leaves take a horizontal position and are located on the branch so that they do not obscure each other. In the spaces between large leaves, small leaves are placed, forming a so-called leaf mosaic. The horizontal position of leaf blades and leaf mosaics are devices for better light capture.

Branching is also characteristic of the underground part of the plant. The root system is powerful, quickly growing, and protects the soil well from runoff and erosion. Because the root system is superficial, plants are sensitive to compaction of the top layer(It is not recommended to dance in a circle under a tree unless necessary).

The plants prefer fertile soils, are light-loving (red-leaved forms of hazel become less bright in the shade), and are relatively cold-resistant - able to tolerate frosts of 25-30 ° C and below. They bloom in early April, which is why they periodically suffer from frosts. Vegetative buds bloom 3-4 weeks after the start of flowering. The strongest growth of shoots is observed in early spring - when there are reserves of moisture, but they do not like either excess or lack of water.

Seeds germinate in the soil (within 1-2 years), while the cotyledons remain in the forest litter until autumn. During the first summer, a shoot 20 cm high is formed in the underground part. Above the cotyledons, several, first scale-like, and then green (red) leaves are formed. The development of the shoot ends with the formation of apical and underground buds.

Hazel trees begin to bear fruit depending on the method of propagation. With the vegetative method, the first harvest is produced in 3-4 years, with the seed method in 6-8 years. Abundant and annual fruiting is observed from 8-10 years. During this period, there is intensive growth of shoots. (Coppling propagation is of great biological importance for the regeneration of hazel in nature, and is also successfully used for propagation in horticulture). The lower part of the bush retains the ability for vegetative renewal for a long time (tillering process) - skeletal branches develop from the tissues of dormant buds. Annual growth varies and depends on the location of the shoot on the plant (up to 150 cm). The longevity of individual branches is 20-25 years. The reproductive age of the bush is 80-90 years (or 150-180 years according to other sources).

Hazelnut is a monoecious plant with dioecious, wind-pollinated flowers. Male flowers (with 4 stamens) in catkins, bloom 2 - 5 from one bud, drooping, consisting of numerous flowers, overwinter in open buds - catkins. Female flowers are borne at the tops of the current year's shoots in the axils of the bud scales. The female inflorescence is similar in appearance to a bud. The flower consists of a pistil fused with a reduced perianth.

pollen grains (and this is just one earring - 4,000,000!). Clouds of pollen are easily carried by the wind from one bush to another. “Pollination” lasts 4-12 days, but nothing: female flowers - bunches of red stigmas - are open for more than 2 weeks and they “catch” a yellow cloud of pollen either from their own or from another plant.

So, we have come to the need to highlight some biological features, as well as features of agricultural technology.

Growing hazelnuts is simple, but you need to know some important points, without which it is impossible to get a harvest. Hazelnut is a monoecious, dioecious, wind-pollinated (cross-pollinated) plant, and the yield of cross-pollinated plants largely depends on climatic conditions during the flowering period and pollination activities, as well as measures to preserve flowers from damage by spring frosts, therefore, for better memorization and We will try to consider each feature in detail.

A-A. For all types of hazelnuts characterized by non-simultaneous maturation of stamens and pistils, i.e. The flowering periods of female and male flowers do not coincide in most hybrids of red-leaved hazelnut varieties. Non-simultaneous maturation of male and female genital organs is very common. This is the most widespread adaptation in the plant kingdom that ensures cross-pollination. It is called dichogamy - (in some cases, the stamens develop first, and the anthers open at a time when the pistil is still underdeveloped and its stigma is unable to accept fertilizing pollen grains and vice versa).

Like animals, plants avoid combining closely related sexual elements and therefore more often resort to cross-pollination, which results in cross-fertilization (allogamy). In this case, the stigma is pollinated by the fertile pollen of another plant of the same species, and its own pollen is used in exchange for pollinating the stigmas of other flowers. If pollen from another species of the same genus falls on the stigma during cross-pollination, fertilization nevertheless often occurs and crosses or hybrids are obtained. The benefits of cross-pollination are so great that plants have developed many different adaptations that facilitate such pollination, and in some cases even make it the only possible one. Most, however, forms with cross-pollination also retain the ability to self-pollinate (resorting to it in rare cases).

Conclusion: Self-fertility in hazelnut hybrids is low, i.e. It is pollinated poorly (rarely) by the pollen of its variety. Therefore, for successful cultivation, it is necessary to have plants of different varieties and plants of seed origin nearby, which will pollinate each other. Especially varieties with a long (extended) period of flowering (dusting) of male catkins. The more plants of the same species growing nearby, the higher the likelihood of cross-pollination. This means that on one bush the pistils are ripening, and on the other at the same time the anthers on the stamens are ripening. It is better if these plants are taken from different places or different varieties. This means, to get a good harvest, you should plant at least2-3 xvarieties. This is a prerequisite for this culture.

B-B. Many hazelnut hybrids have semi- or completely sterile pollen, and some have predominantly female flowers. Most varieties are self-sterile.

Conclusion: For points A-A and B-B, the need for cross-pollination is 100% obvious. To obtain a sustainable harvest, additional pollination is required. For this purpose, pollinator varieties are selected that produce a large amount of pollen (for every 10 bushes, 1-2 pollinator bushes). Having pollinating varieties on your plot, you will always have a good harvest. If the variety is self-fertile or partially self-fertile, then be sure to select a suitable variety for it - a pollinator or a plant of seed origin. The main thing is that it must coincide with your variety in terms of flowering time and be located at a distance of no further than 10-15 m from the pollinated variety and always on the leeward side. However, even if the variety is self-fertile, for better fruiting it is also a good idea to choose another pollinator variety: the yield will be higher, so it is advisable to plant several different varieties on the site. It is recommended to place green-leaved ones next to red-leaved forms. For normal fruiting, you need to plant several plants that do not belong to the same clone. Good pollinators are Tambov early, Tambov late, Pervenets, Moscow ruby, Ivanteevsky red, 4219.

Charles Darwin experimentally showed that “cross-pollination,” when pollen is taken from another plant of the same species, produces more numerous, stronger and, in turn, more fertile offspring.

V-V. To clarify the following features, it is necessary to remember 2 important concepts that apply to all fruit plants without exception. The majority of gardeners often confuse the concepts of winter hardiness and frost resistance. But these are completely different things. Frost resistance is the ability of a variety to withstand certain subzero temperatures. Winter hardiness is a complex concept. It includes frost resistance, regenerative ability, or, more simply put, the survivability of the variety and the ability to withstand temperature changes.

Hazelnuts, thanks to breeders, tolerate t = −25-30*C without additional shelter. Male inflorescences - catkins - are less winter-hardy than female fruit buds. Often, catkins freeze slightly before flowering. Male inflorescences are laid and formed in the summer and autumn of the previous year and overwinter fully formed, ready for flowering. Branches brought into a room in winter begin to gather dust, and therefore short periods of warming in winter cause vigorous activity in the catkins. Frosts that follow warm days destroy them. That is, the winter hardiness of male inflorescences of many varieties is insufficient.

Female inflorescences are formed much later; by winter, female flowers are very poorly developed, most often they overwinter in the stage of proliferation of tubercles. They are surrounded by thick scales and leaf buds, so they are less exposed to temperature fluctuations and do not grow during warming periods, and therefore freeze out less often.

Knowing all this, you can help the plant produce annual nut harvests. To guarantee a safe overwintering of plants, it is recommended in the fall to bend the lower branches with catkins to the ground, secure them and cover them with snow. All winter they will be under the snow, like under a fur coat. Sharp fluctuations in air temperature will not affect them. In the spring, don’t forget to free the branches from the snow captivity, and then the men’s earrings will fulfill their purpose. For better pollination, it is necessary to bend the branches precisely from the direction of the prevailing winds, and the wind itself will do the rest.

Conclusion: We plant varieties in the neighborhood that are characterized by high frost resistance and winter hardiness of male inflorescences. The varieties Tambovsky early, Tambovsky late and Pervenets are classified as pollinating varieties of red-leaved forms (they form many more winter-hardy male inflorescences). Green-leaved hazelnuts are considered more winter-hardy; Among the red-leaved ones, Pushkinsky red, Miracle of Vsesvyatsky, Maria Makarevich are more resistant to frost. For example, the varieties Tambovsky early, Tambovsky late, Isaevsky, during an extremely unfavorable winter of 1978/1979 in the Moscow region, withstood the test of frost t = −42°C and still bore fruit, while the wild hazel in the forest was mostly frozen out. This is a fact. This is evidenced by Kudasheva R.F. and Moiseev A.E., a full member of the Moscow Society of Natural Scientists, in the magazines “Homestead Farming” and “Science and Life” No. 4 for 1990.

G-G. Hazelnut is a wind-pollinated plant, so it is necessary to take into account the prevailing wind direction at the time of flowering of the plant. See the section “Pollination” for more details.

Conclusion: 1) taking into account the above, we plant the pollinator on the leeward side. 2) additional pollination of hazelnuts is facilitated by pruning during the flowering period of the plant: spontaneous shaking at the moment of cutting branches contributes to the active dispersal of pollen.

D-D. A characteristic feature of hazel trees is that after flowering their ovaries begin to develop only after 1.5 - 2 months, i.e. the fruits begin to form not in April, but in June - as a result, 4.5 - 5 months pass from the moment of pollination to the ripening of the kernel. And when the buds have already blossomed and the growth of shoots with pollinated female flowers has begun, the crop can be destroyed by late return frosts down to - 3 * C. (Although the pollen tubes quickly reach the base of the style, fertilization itself occurs only 2-3 weeks after pollination).

Conclusion: Hazelnuts bear fruit annually. However, weather favorable for abundant fruiting in the central zone occurs once every 2 - 4 years, and frosts during flowering are no exception. After all The main danger for hazelnuts is not winter frosts, but spring frosts. At rest, plants can withstand low temperatures, but sudden spring frosts can kill buds, flowers and young shoots. The plant's sensitivity to low temperatures depends on the degree of bud opening - the further the bud development has progressed, the greater the danger. In winter, pollen in male earring inflorescences is not damaged even at t = –30°C, but during spring flowering it can only withstand t = −3 −5°C. Female hazelnut inflorescences can withstand frosts t ≥ –30°C in winter, during flowering they can withstand temperatures t = –8 –9°C, and the fertilized ovary can only withstand t = –3°C. Although other fruit crops have an even lower permissible critical temperature threshold, nevertheless, emergency measures to protect the future harvest cannot be avoided. (Let’s take an apple tree as an example: a blossoming flower bud dies at -3.5°C, -3°C is fatal for buds, blossoming buds cannot withstand -2°C, -1.5°C is fatal at the stage of petal fall, and -1°C kills ovaries °C.)

This is one of the big problems for gardeners, so let’s take a closer look at it. With the arrival of warmth, the time of flowering begins - a crucial period for fruit crops. Late spring frosts are possible at this time. Observations show that hazelnuts are most harmed by frosts at the time of ovary formation. A drop in temperature below −3°C causes the death of the crop. The likelihood of frost occurring can be determined by the following signs. A sharp drop in temperature in the afternoon, a quiet windless and cloudless clear night, the absence of evening dew, dry air, as well as the upcoming weather can be judged by the behavior of the hazelnut itself. If the stigmas are hidden in the bud, and the earrings have shrunk, decreasing by 1/2, then expect frost; if they show themselves in all their glory, it will be warm.

Protecting all fruit plants, without exception, from late spring frosts is a pressing problem for gardens not only in the Middle Zone. So this problem is not only ours and not only with hazelnuts. Therefore, we stock up on knowledge, patience and move forward - light fires and more.

Options for protection against spring frosts

1. The most effective method of protection is fine-drip sprinkling. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that light, intense rain covers the entire surface of flowering plants throughout the entire freezing period. Sprinkling allows you to protect flowers and ovaries from frost damage even at temperatures of −4–5°C. The use of sprinkling is based on the fact that when water freezes, it releases heat and thereby protects the flowers. Spraying must be completed 1-2 hours before sunrise, otherwise the plants, thawing under the influence of sunlight, will turn black and die.

If the frost has done its job, then before sunrise, until the green parts of the plant have thawed, you need to sprinkle them generously with water. Under the influence of cold water, the plants move away gradually, and frost will not cause them any harm. If sprayed for a long time, the branches may become covered with ice, and therefore supports should be placed in advance under weak branches. In this case, do not forget about effective soil drainage, otherwise it may become waterlogged, which will lead to serious damage to the roots.

2. Smoking is the most common way to protect fruit plants from frost. The use of smoke is based on the fact that when the material burns, a curtain of smoke and particles of water vapor is formed. Smoke, being a poor conductor of heat, prevents the cooling of the surface layers of the soil and retains heat in it. The use of smoke increases the air temperature by 2-3°C or more.

However, this method gives a positive result only in clear, windless weather and with prolonged use. It is important to first determine the direction of the smoke. Then arrange heaps for smoking. They are laid, starting with installing a stake and lining it with straw, wood chips, brushwood (highly flammable material). After this, the pile is covered with manure, leaves and earth on top and set on fire. The pile should burn slowly for 5-6 hours. They make 1-2 per hundred square meters, placing them no closer than 1.5-2 m from the tree. It is important to correctly determine the onset of smoking. It starts when the air temperature drops to +1°C and continues to fall. If half an hour after sunset the temperature has not dropped below +1.5°C, the smoking of the fires is postponed until the next time.

3. Foliar feeding of flowering plants with minerals. It improves their nutrition and increases the concentration of cell sap, which increases the resistance of fruit plants to freezing. Foliar feeding is carried out by spraying in the evening or 2-3 hours before the onset of frost. The solution is prepared from potassium and phosphate mineral fertilizers (3-4% potassium sulfate and 4-5% superphosphate).

4. Non-woven covering material also helps preserve the crop during spring bad weather.

5. It is necessary to try to choose varieties with increased winter hardiness of fruit buds, as well as varieties with a later flowering period or long-flowering varieties.

HER. Successful pollination depends largely on weather conditions, e.g. long rains during flowering interfere with the spread of pollen in wind-pollinated plants. This leads to massive death of pollen and in such years the harvest decreases sharply. As E. B. Kvach from Belarus writes: “Over many years I have become convinced that rainy weather during flowering causes much more harm than frost, since pollen is washed off from flowers. Productivity in such years is low. Although the nuts are developing externally, many are empty and have blackened flesh inside.”

Conclusion: A.E. Moiseev from the Moscow region successfully used artificial pollination about 20 years ago. In this case, it is necessary to collect the male earrings with twigs in advance before they become dusty, put them in a clean paper bag and in the refrigerator, where the pollen retains the ability to germinate for 2-3 weeks. You can’t keep pollen in the sun even for a few minutes, it dies. The package is stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of about 0 degrees. When good weather arrives, you need to place the branches with catkins in a bottle of water on parchment paper overnight. Pollen will fall there, collect it in a bag and carefully apply it to the stigmas of the pistils with a soft watercolor brush. Hand pollination should be carried out in the morning before the sun appears or in cloudy weather. For small hazelnut bushes, this method is convenient and reliable. It takes very little time to pollinate a flowering bush - 15-20 minutes. Or the second option for mature trees: prepare pollen (as with hand pollination), collect it, mix it with water, fill the spray bottle and early in the morning, or in cloudy (dry) weather, carry out pollination - spraying.

J-J. Hazelnuts have a powerful root system. As with many cultures Nuts are characterized by the presence of mycorrhiza. A cover of fungal hyphae is formed around the small roots, that is, special soil fungi that can replace the suction hairs of the root and additionally take on other protective functions. In the rhizosphere (around active roots) a specific microflora develops, consisting of hyphae of soil fungi living on the surface of the root. Mycorrhizal fungi belong to the group - symbiophytes. This symbiosis(cohabitation) of fungi and higher plants. In the process of mutually beneficial cooperation, the tree gives up to 10% sugar and starch to the mushrooms, and the mushrooms give moisture and nutrients (phosphates).

In addition, mycorrhiza prevents infection of tree roots by pathogenic microorganisms, accumulates large amounts of heavy metals (where they are in excess), and creates a buffer environment from adverse effects. Mycorrhiza gives the greatest effect if the environment in which planting is carried out is associated with stress for the seedling: lack of moisture (drought), lack of nutrients, low pH, high concentration of heavy metals, etc.

Conclusion: Before planting hazelnut seedlings, don’t be lazy, go into the forest and from under the hazelnut from a depth of 10-15 cm, collect mycorrhizal earth (forest humus with hyphae fungi) - this is where the mycorrhiza of fungi is located. This will be the best nanny for your nut plantings for all time - you only need 1-2 handfuls of it(100-200 g)for each hole. Produce a similar bedding when propagating by layering and other methods. Mycorrhiza forms in optimal humidity conditions. A decrease in humidity leads to the death of the fungal root, and if the humidity then increases, new suction roots appear, and mycorrhiza appears again. Mycorrhiza is often found on the roots and at great depths. (Apple, pear, hazel, cherry, plum and berry plants have both mycorrhiza and root hairs).

Z-Z. Common hazel seedlings used as a rootstock are suitable for standard cultivation, provided that the shoots are regularly removed, since a lot of rhizome and stump shoots usually form at the base of the bushes. But you can almost completely get rid of this growth by deepening the grafting sites to a depth of 20–25 cm when planting. And such rootstocks as seedlings of bear nut and its hybrids do not form shoots at all. To prevent shoots from forming on rooted standard plants, a film circle with a diameter of 50-60 cm is placed around the standard, its edges are dug in, and in the center it is tied around the standard 5-10 cm above the root collar. Although grafted specimens are offered for sale, preference should be given to own-rooted ones, so that growth from the rootstock does not bother you in the future.

Some hazelnut varieties are prone to excessive root growth, which leads to depleted bushes and reduced yield. In this case, part of the shoots must be removed at an early age, when the shoots rise 5-8 cm above the soil surface. Cutting them out at the soil surface does not reduce the amount of root shoots. Even the reverse process is observed, since pruning the shoots causes them to branch.

Conclusion: To effectively remove shoots, you need to dig up the soil around each shoot and cut it down to the base with pruning shears. Pruning is carried out as it grows.

The above features are not taken into account and, as they say, are at your own loss. When cultivating hazelnuts, it is necessary to take care first of all of the pollinator, of varieties with high winter hardiness of male catkins and female inflorescences. If the area of the plot allows, then plant 5-8 carefully selected varieties and you will only have one problem left - the problem of harvesting. The harvest of nuts from a wild hazel bush reaches 1-3 kg (once every five years), in cultivation almost annually 2-4 kg, under favorable conditions and proper agricultural technology up to 7-10 kg (some varieties).

The genus hazel or hazel unites several dozen species of deciduous shrubs and trees of the Birch family. Most of them are distributed in the temperate climate zone of Eurasia and North America. They are found on the edges, as part of the undergrowth of mixed and deciduous forests. The main value of hazel is its fruits. Some species are used in folk medicine and are raw materials for industrial wood.

Botanical description

Hazel is often a densely branched bush with dark gray wrinkled bark and a broad, ovoid, dense crown. Less commonly, a small tree up to 6–8 m high. Young shoots are yellowish-brown, skeletal branches are long and flexible. The root system is voluminous, powerful, with numerous lateral appendages. Most of them are concentrated near the surface.

Hazel leaves are simple petiolate, bright green, slightly wrinkled, with slight pubescence. The plates are 5–12 cm in size, broadly oval, heart-shaped at the base, with jagged edges and pointed apices. The surface has pronounced feathery veins, noticeably lighter on the underside. They bloom in early May.

Inflorescences are dioecious. Men's - in the form of dangling cylindrical earrings of a yellowish-green color. They are laid in the autumn and bloom 1–2 weeks before the leaves appear. The female ones are located in pairs in axils-bracts, have the appearance of short thick buds with red threads of stigmas.

The fruits ripen in September or late autumn. Hazel nuts have a round shape, the light-colored seed is surrounded by a dense, woody shell-pericarp of a yellowish or brown hue. Each nut is enclosed in a dense light green tubular shell with open cut edges - a plus. In several fruits, their bases usually grow together, forming a fruit cluster of 2–5 pieces. When the hazel ripens, the plume dries out and the fruits freely fall out of it. Hazel bears fruit from the age of 5–7 years.

The walnut tree is light-loving, moisture-loving, sensitive to soil fertility. On poor or sandy soils it develops slowly. Hazel productivity is uneven. Usually, after 1–3 years of abundant fruiting, while maintaining the same weather conditions, a period of dormancy follows: there are very few nuts or no nuts at all.

Classification

In total, there are almost 20 types of hazel, differing in shape, size and taste of the fruit. Among them there are both wild and selected varieties, as well as hybrids.

Ordinary

The most common species in Europe. In central Russia it is found everywhere. A tall, dense shrub with grayish-brown bark and a spreading crown. The leaves are alternate, large, dark green. Young shoots and the underside of the leaves are pubescent. In the subtropics the plant blooms at the end of February, in the temperate zone - at the end of April. The nuts are 1.5–2 cm in size, round or oblong, with a light brown shell. Plus with deeply cut edges.

Manchurian

Far Eastern shade-tolerant and frost-resistant species. Multi-stemmed shrub up to 4–5 m high with a spreading crown. Young shoots are brown, with slight pubescence. The bark is dark gray, with cracks. The leaves are dark green, narrower than those of common hazel. The nuts are elongated, 2–2.5 cm in size, the fruit shell is hard and spiny.

Variegated

A frost-resistant type of hazel, common in Siberia and the Far East. A shrub up to 2–3 m high with a dense, very wide and dense crown. The bark of adult shoots is dark brown. The leaves are coarsely toothed, heart-shaped at the base, wide. In spring, young foliage has a reddish tint, in summer it becomes bright green, and in autumn it turns lemon yellow or orange. The nuts of multileaf hazel are yellow, round, slightly flattened, 1.5–3 cm in diameter.

Tree-like

It has a second name: bear hazel or bear nut. One of the largest types of hazel. It is a slender, straight-trunked tree up to 20–25 m high. The bark is light gray, peeling off in plates in adult specimens. The crowns are of a regular pyramidal shape, the leaves are petiolate, oval, serrated, pointed. The nuts are 2.5–3 cm in size, covered with an elongated pinnately dissected plush of a light green hue. In nature, tree hazel is found in Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, and the Balkan Peninsula.

Lombard nut

The ancestor of industrial varieties of fruit crops. Distributed in southern Europe, Asia Minor, North America. Shrub up to 7–9 m high with a densely branched crown. The bark is dark gray, covered with deep cracks. The leaves are large, oval, slightly lobed, toothed, 10–12 cm long, 5–7 cm wide. Many varieties have violet or purplish foliage. The fruits, up to 3 cm in size, are surrounded by a dense fleshy plus, dissected at the edges. The nuts have a high taste and are larger than other types of hazel.

Application

Hazel is a fruit plant. Nuts of most types are a nutritious product and are used in cooking. The content of biochemically active substances determines the pharmacological value of the fruit. Along with them, preparations from other parts of the plant are beneficial for health: leaves, flowers, bark and roots. Wood of large species is of industrial interest.

Wood

Hazel belongs to the sapwood species. This is a uniform yellowish, pink or light brown material with a discreet texture. It is characterized by moderate strength, resistance to warping, does not dry out or chip under impact loads. Walnut is tough, can be easily processed with all types of hand and mechanical tools, bent, glued, etched and sanded. Due to the small diameter of logs, they are almost never used in construction. Areas of application of hazel:

furniture industry;
production of veneer, finishing panels, floor coverings;
carpentry and turning products, cutting boards, tool handles, fittings, eco-friendly tableware;
souvenirs.

Flexible walnut shoots are used for weaving baskets, wooden fences, and making hoops and fishing rods.

Medicine

Hazel fruits contain fatty oil, vitamins D, E, group B, organic acids, glycosides, calcium, potassium, iron, cobalt and other minerals. Essential oils, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and other biochemically active compounds were found in the leaves, flowers and other parts of the plant. Preparations based on nut pulp, bark and root powder, flowers and leaves have versatile therapeutic effects:

antipyretic;
anti-inflammatory;
antimicrobial;
anticancer;
immunomodulatory;
blood purifying;
vasodilator;
anthelmintic.

Tinctures and teas are used to treat gastrointestinal diseases, fever, bronchitis, pneumonia, nervous disorders, and headaches.

Hazelnuts and hazel

Hazelnuts and regular forest nuts are closely related products. The first species combines several cultural forms originating from the Lombard nut. They are slightly larger than the others, have a brighter and richer taste, and contain more fatty oil, amino acids, minerals and vitamins than wild hazel.

Benefit

Hazel nuts are richer in nutrients, micro- and macroelements, organic acids, and vitamins than many food products. These fruits are easily digestible, and they contain enough protein and fat to serve as a substitute for meat or milk. To provide the body with all the beneficial substances it needs, it is enough to consume about 150 g of nuts per day. It is necessary to introduce them into the diet in case of physical or nervous exhaustion, chronic intestinal diseases, decreased vision, insufficient immunity, lactase or gluten intolerance.

Hazel rarely causes allergies and is suitable for feeding children, elderly and weakened people, and pregnant women.

Harm

Obese people should not overuse nuts. This is a very high-calorie product. 100 g of peeled kernels contain almost 500 kcal. It is necessary to include them in the diet if you are overweight on a limited basis - no more than 50 g per day.

Hazel fruits can be harmful in cases of chronic cholecystitis, pancreatitis and some forms of gastritis - the body requires a large amount of enzymes to digest nuts. Individual intolerance may also become an obstacle to their use.

Landing

A walnut tree is easy to grow in your own garden. If breeding a crop is planned for fruit production, it is recommended to plant several specimens at once for successful cross-pollination.

The hazel tree should be placed in a well-lit area, maintaining a distance between trees of about 3–4 m. Work to be carried out in the fall. It is useful to dig up the soil in advance, adding 3–4 kg of humus or ½ bucket of rotted manure per 1 m². The holes for seedlings are prepared with a depth and width of 65–80 cm. Drainage made of stones or broken bricks is placed at the bottom - a layer of about 10 cm. Pour a bucket of a mixture of equal parts of garden soil, humus, 200 g of wood ash and 20 g of complex nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer on top. Pour out 10 liters of water. Then the seedling is placed in the hole, tightly covering the roots with soil on all sides. There should be no gaps between them. The root collar should protrude 1–2 cm above the surface. Upon completion of planting, the plants are watered again. It is useful to mulch tree trunk circles with peat immediately after planting.

Care

Requirements for hazel tree care are traditional. The shrub needs regular moistening, loosening the soil, removing weeds and fertilizers.

Hazel needs to be watered generously. In dry or hot weather, bushes require 10–15 liters of water every week, from April to September. You can refuse additional moisture only if there is a large amount of natural precipitation. Adult bushes are watered less often: 1–2 times a month.

Feed the hazel tree three times a season. In April or May, 20 g of nitroammophoska is added to the soil. Early summer: 200 g of ash mixed with 10 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt. At the end of July, it is advisable to add 20 g of superphosphate. It is useful to water poor soils from time to time with a solution of manure or add compost.

Hazel needs sanitary pruning every year.. It is necessary to remove branches that are drying out, diseased or growing incorrectly. Old shrubs that have reached 20 years of age can be rejuvenated by cutting off most of the shoots, leaving only 10-centimeter shoots with several growth buds.

Reproduction

Hazel seeds should not be propagated by seeds.. This method does not make it possible to preserve the varietal characteristics of the plant. The main methods are vegetative.

Young hazel trees can be propagated using green cuttings, cutting off shoots that have not yet become woody in the summer. For rooting, take pieces 12–15 cm long with a pair of leaves. The material is planted in greenhouses - in a mixture of garden soil and peat, kept at a temperature of +20–25 °C, and watered daily. By autumn they receive the finished material.

Adult bushes are propagated by layering. In spring, the side shoots are cut and pinned to the ground, sprinkled with soil. They are looked after during the season. After 1.5–2 months, the cuttings take root, and new shoots come up from them. In the fall they are dug up and cut off from the donor.

Old specimens in need of renewal are propagated by dividing the bush.. In September, the hazel tree is dug up, the above-ground part is shortened, the roots are washed and cut into several parts with healthy growing points. The cuttings are immediately planted in the ground.

Harvest

The age of hazel fruiting depends on the variety. Cultivated varieties bear fruit from the age of 5-6 years, wild varieties - from the age of 7-8 years. One mature tree produces from 2 to 9 kg of nuts per season. They are collected from the end of September, plucking them from branches or picking up fallen ones.. Ripe nuts need to be air dried before use. Their fruit shell oxidizes, becomes brittle, the kernel loses some moisture and acquires a richer taste. Store the fruits in a dark, dry place, placing them in paper bags or linen bags. Airtight packaging is undesirable as it leads to mold growth.

Diseases and pests

To protect shrubs and trees from diplodia, yellow spot, powdery mildew and other fungal diseases, it is necessary to regularly cut and destroy drying branches, treating the damaged areas with copper sulfate, meat dyes, and garden varnish. It is recommended to spray the crowns with Bordeaux mixture and other fungicides.

The main pests of hazel are: nut weevil, moth and codling moth.. They gnaw through the fruit shell, feed on the kernels, infect plants with fungus, and can ruin almost the entire harvest. The fight against them is carried out comprehensively. The trunk circles are regularly dug in and thoroughly loosened to destroy the larvae. The bushes are shaken off with a film underneath to collect insects. Wormy nuts are picked and destroyed. The hazel bark and crowns are sprayed with insecticides three times a season. Sometimes, in the struggle for the nut harvest, birds turn out to be useful because they eat harmful caterpillars and worms.

Among the countless varieties and hybrids of sweet peppers, there are those, such as the Ramiro pepper, whose popularity is literally worldwide. And if most vegetables on supermarket shelves are nameless, and it is almost impossible to find out about their variety, then the name of this pepper “Ramiro” will certainly be on the packaging. And, as my experience has shown, this pepper is worth letting other gardeners know about it. In connection with which this article was written.

Autumn is the most mushroom time. It is no longer hot, and heavy dew falls in the mornings. Since the earth is still warm, and foliage has already attacked from above, creating a completely special microclimate in the ground layer, the mushrooms are very comfortable. Mushroom pickers are also comfortable at this time, especially in the mornings when it is cooler. It's time for both to meet. And, if you haven’t introduced yourself to each other, get to know each other. In this article I will introduce you to exotic, little-known and not always edible mushrooms that look like coral.

If you are a busy person, but at the same time not devoid of romance, if you have your own plot and are endowed with aesthetic taste, then explore the opportunity to purchase this wonderful ornamental shrub - karyopteris, or Nutwing. He is also “wing-hazel”, “blue fog” and “blue beard”. It truly fully combines unpretentiousness and beauty. Karyopteris reaches its peak of decorativeness in late summer and autumn. It is at this time that it blooms.

Pepper ajvar - vegetable caviar or thick vegetable sauce made from bell peppers with eggplants. The peppers for this recipe are baked for quite a long time, then they are also stewed. Onions, tomatoes, and eggplants are added to ajvar. To store eggs for the winter, they are sterilized. This Balkan recipe is not for those who like to make preparations quickly, undercooked and underbaked - not about ajvar. In general, we approach the matter in detail. For the sauce, we choose the ripest and meatiest vegetables on the market.

Despite the simple names (“sticky” or “indoor maple”) and the status of a modern substitute for indoor hibiscus, abutilons are far from the simplest plants. They grow well, bloom profusely and provide a healthy look of greenery only in optimal conditions. On thin leaves, any deviations from comfortable lighting or temperatures and disturbances in care quickly appear. To reveal the beauty of abutilons in rooms, it is worth finding the ideal place for them.

Zucchini fritters with Parmesan and mushrooms - a delicious recipe with photos of available products. Ordinary zucchini pancakes can be easily turned into a non-boring dish by adding a few savory ingredients to the dough. During the squash season, pamper your family with vegetable pancakes with wild mushrooms; it is not only very tasty, but also filling. Zucchini is a universal vegetable, it is suitable for stuffing, for preparations, for main courses, and even for sweets there are delicious recipes - compotes and jam are made from zucchini.

The idea of growing vegetables on the grass, under the grass and in the grass is scary at first, until you become imbued with the naturalness of the process: in nature, this is exactly how everything happens. With the obligatory participation of all soil living creatures: from bacteria and fungi to moles and toads. Each of them contributes. Traditional tillage with digging, loosening, fertilizing, and fighting all those we consider pests destroys the biocenoses that have been created over centuries. In addition, it requires a lot of labor and resources.

What to do instead of a lawn? So that all this beauty does not turn yellow, does not get sick and at the same time looks like a lawn... I hope that the smart and quick-witted reader is already smiling. After all, the answer suggests itself - if you do nothing, nothing will happen. Of course, there are several solutions that can be used, and with their help, you can reduce the area of the lawn, and therefore reduce the labor intensity of caring for it. I propose to consider alternative options and discuss their pros and cons.

Tomato sauce with onions and sweet peppers - thick, aromatic, with pieces of vegetables. The sauce cooks quickly and is thick because this recipe contains pectin. Make such preparations at the end of summer or autumn, when the vegetables have ripened in the sun in the garden beds. Bright, red tomatoes will make equally bright homemade ketchup. This sauce is a ready-made dressing for spaghetti, and you can also simply spread it on bread - very tasty. For better preservation, you can add a little vinegar.

This year I often observed a picture: among the luxurious green crown of trees and shrubs, here and there, like candles, the bleached tops of shoots “burn.” This is chlorosis. Most of us know about chlorosis from school biology lessons. I remember that this is a lack of iron... But chlorosis is an ambiguous concept. And lightening of foliage does not always mean a lack of iron. What is chlorosis, what our plants lack during chlorosis and how to help them, we will tell you in the article.

Korean vegetables for the winter - delicious Korean salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. The salad is sweet and sour, spicy and slightly spicy because it is prepared with Korean carrot seasoning. Be sure to prepare a few jars for the winter; in cold winter, this healthy and aromatic snack will come in handy. You can use overripe cucumbers for the recipe; it is better to harvest vegetables in late summer or early autumn, when they are ripe in the open ground under the sun.

Autumn for me means dahlias. Mine begin to bloom as early as June, and all summer the neighbors peek at me over the fence, reminding them that I promised them a few tubers or seeds by the fall. In September, a tart note appears in the aroma of these flowers, hinting at the approaching cold. This means it’s time to start preparing the plants for the long, cold winter. In this article I will share my secrets of autumn care for perennial dahlias and preparing them for winter storage.

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Pinjur - Balkan-style eggplant caviar with sweet peppers, onions and tomatoes. A distinctive feature of the dish is that the eggplants and peppers are first baked, then peeled and simmered for a long time in a roasting pan or in a thick-bottomed pan, adding the rest of the vegetables specified in the recipe. The caviar turns out to be very thick, with a bright, rich taste. In my opinion, this cooking method is the best known. Although it is more troublesome, the result compensates for the labor costs.

Syn.: hazel.

Woody, deciduous, multi-stemmed, tall shrub (2-6 m), in some conditions it can grow into a small tree (10 m in height) with an umbrella-shaped crown, lives up to 100 years. It has long been cultivated as a valuable food (nuts) and ornamental plant. It has useful healing properties: restorative, astringent, immunostimulating, disinfectant, lactic, carminative.

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In medicine

In scientific medicine, hazel preparations have not yet received widespread use. In the 20th century, among the drugs was the L2 Lesovaya liquid, intended for the treatment of eczema, neurodermatitis, psoriasis, etc. It was discontinued due to its insignificant therapeutic effect. Currently, an infusion of hazel bark is recommended for dilated veins, periphlebitis, capillary hemorrhages, a decoction of the leaves - for prostate hypertrophy, nut oil - to strengthen the stomach, fruits - as a milk extractor for nursing women and a general tonic during and after a long illness . Hazel nut kernels are a valuable medicine for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, diseases of the cardiovascular system, anemia, etc.

Contraindications and side effects

There were no significant side effects associated with the use of hazel. The main contraindication is individual intolerance. But hypertensive patients should take into account that excessive consumption of infusion from hazel leaves and bark increases blood pressure, and the nucleoli can provoke an exacerbation of neurodermatitis and other skin diseases. If you have psoriasis, it is not recommended to eat nuts, as the disease may worsen. In addition, hazel pollen is an allergen, so people with allergies should stay away from this plant.

On the farm

In the economy, hazel has a variety of uses and is of no small industrial importance. Common hazel has been used and cultivated since ancient times as a valuable nut-bearing plant. Hazel nuts have nutritional value, containing large amounts of fats (65%), proteins, sugar and other biologically active substances. High-quality oil is extracted from them, widely used in the confectionery, food, medical, paint and varnish, and perfume industries. Halva and other products are prepared from the cake. Dry nuts are used to make flour, and young ones are used to make milk. One of the best vegetable oils is obtained from the seeds. Sawdust is used to clarify vinegar and clarify cloudy wines. The bark is suitable for tanning leather. Hazel wood is hard but flexible and is widely used in agricultural engineering and construction, as well as in carpentry, furniture and turning. Hazel charcoal is used to make gunpowder and is the best among drafting coals. Young hazel branches are used to make handles for gardening tools (shovels, rakes), fishing rods, and baskets are woven from thin twigs. Hazel is a valuable shrub species for shelterbelt forests, as well as for securing slopes, ravines and slopes. The plant is an excellent honey plant; in the spring it produces a large amount of high-quality pollen, which beekeepers harvest for winter feeding of bees.

Recently, hazel has been valued in gardening due to its large, dense green foliage, which turns into bright yellow and red tones with the arrival of autumn. Therefore, it is planted as an ornamental rather spectacular shrub in a garden plot, in a square or park within its distribution area.

Classification

Common hazel, or hazel (lat. Corylus avellana L.) is the most famous species in Russia of the genus Hazel (lat. Corylus) of the subfamily Hazel (lat. Coryloideae) of the birch family (lat. Betulaceae). The hazel genus stands apart among the birch trees due to its great originality, therefore it is sometimes classified as an independent hazel family (lat. Corylaceae). Hazel is the only zoochorous (synzoochorous) species among the birch trees. The hazel genus is small, according to various sources it includes 15-20 species, among which shrubs predominate, the bulk of which live in East Asia.

Botanical description

Tall (2-6 m) deciduous multi-stemmed shrub, in some conditions a small tree reaching up to 10 m in height. The root system is powerful and superficial. The branches are covered with light lentils. The leaves are simple with a short petiole (7-20 mm long), alternate, round-oval (8-12 cm wide), entire, doubly serrated at the edges with sharp teeth. The tips of the leaf blade are pointed, the bases are narrowly heart-shaped, more or less symmetrical. The venation is pinnate. Young shoots, petioles and leaf veins are densely pubescent with simple and glandular capitate trichomes (hairs). The flowers are small, inconspicuous, dioecious, without perianth, or it is reduced (female). Male (staminate) flowers are collected in drooping long catkins, female (pistillate) flowers are short, erect, naked, cone-shaped or hanging in capitate semi-umbrellas, from which the crimson stigmas of the pistils are visible. Male dichasias are single-flowered, females are two-flowered. The fruit is a woody nut (1-1.5 cm in diameter) from light to dark brown, half surrounded by a light green, velvety pubescent leaf-like involucre. Flowering time is April-May. The plant usually blooms before the leaves bloom, and bright yellow pollen is produced in very large quantities. Fruiting in August – September.

Spreading

Common hazel is the main undergrowth species, a typical representative of oak, broad-leaved, coniferous-deciduous and high-mountain coniferous forests of Europe, the Caucasus and Asia Minor. Grows massively in the south and central zone of European Russia. The distribution area of common hazel (hazel) in the European part of Russia reaches the Urals. In the warm post-glacial period (7-10 thousand years ago), hazel reached much further to the north and east than it does now. It also grows in deciduous forests of the Far East. Sometimes it forms pure bush stands and can be a pioneer in the overgrowth of clearings and fires. Shade-tolerant, but demanding on the soil. Prefers fresh, rich soils of moderate to high humidity for growth. Hazel itself enriches the soil with organic and mineral substances, as it produces rich leaf litter. Introduced into cultivation as a fruit plant, many varieties have now been obtained (for example, hazelnut, Byzantine or Constantinople nut, etc.). For industrial purposes, they are bred on large areas of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (hazel orchards) and in some southern regions of the European part of Russia, as well as in many countries of the world (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Central Asia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, the south of France, etc.) . Today, thanks to the efforts of breeders, hazel can be found almost anywhere on the planet.

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

Almost the entire plant (roots, leaves, bark and fruits) is used for medicinal purposes. Young leaves are harvested during flowering in May, and the bark is carefully removed from the branches with a knife in early spring or autumn. Dry under a canopy in the air, in the attic or in a well-ventilated area. Nuts are harvested in the fall when they are fully ripe. Dry in the sun for 2 weeks, spread out in a thin layer, or in a dryer at a temperature of 60-70°C, stirring occasionally. Leaves and fruits are stored for 1 year, bark - 2 years.

Chemical composition

Hazel fruits (nuts) contain a huge amount of essential, valuable and beneficial substances, such as fats - 62-65%, proteins - 16-17%, sugars - 3.5%, carbohydrates - 7%, vitamins C, E, D, minerals substances -2% (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium), trace elements and other biologically active substances. Fruit oil contains lipotropic substances (meteonine, choline, lecithin) and unsaturated fatty acids. The bark contains essential oil, phlobaphenes, lignoceryl alcohol, betulin, tannins (tannins more than 8%) and dyes. The leaves contain essential oil, ascorbic and palmitic acid, and the glycoside myricitroside.

Pharmacological properties

The plant has astringent, antidysentery, antipyretic, vasodilator, laxative, antiseptic, stimulating and general strengthening effects on the human body. Nuts have an immunostimulating, lactic (promote milk production in lactating women) effect; they are useful for people with diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis, and are an effective means of stimulating intestinal motor function.

Use in folk medicine

In folk medicine, almost the entire plant is used for medicinal purposes: fruits (nuts), leaves, young bark of shoots, plus, roots. Nuts are used as a lactic and carminative; they dissolve kidney stones. Hazel fruits are also used for epilepsy, cholelithiasis, tumors and ascariasis. From crushed nut kernels, healing cream is made, rich in vitamins, microelements and nutrients, which help restore strength after a long illness, strengthen hair, prevent its fragility and loss, and treat anemia and urolithiasis. Hazel nuts ground with water are used for hemoptysis, pulmonary diseases, bronchitis, fever, kidney stones, and with honey for anemia and rheumatism. Hazel nuts are also recommended for people who have undergone major surgery and a serious infectious disease, or simply for children, to strengthen their condition and stimulate development. Walnut shell extract is used to treat prostatitis and colitis, and plusku is used as an astringent and disinfectant for diarrhea. A decoction of hazel leaves is used for adenoma and hypertrophy of the prostate gland, as well as diseases of the thyroid gland, liver and intestinal diseases, flatulence, vitamin deficiency, rickets and anemia. In addition, the leaves are included in preparations used for various metabolic disorders. Spring bark is used for malaria, nut oil is used as an anthelmintic and also for the treatment of epilepsy. For hair loss, it is recommended to rub the oil into the scalp, and crushed nut kernels and mixed with egg white are used for burns. Pollen in folk medicine is used as a general tonic and for urinary incontinence (in combination with honey and a decoction of St. John's wort or agrimony). A decoction of the bark is used for varicose veins, for the treatment of phlebitis, leg ulcers and capillary hemorrhages, and for malaria.

Historical background

The homeland of hazel is Greece, but in the works of some ancient Greek philosophers there is a mention that it was brought to Greece from Syria. It is also known that hazel was widespread in the Caucasus and in the middle part of modern Turkey (Asia Minor), later from there it was brought to the south of Europe and further north, and in the 17-18 centuries. hazel was also brought to America.

In Ancient Rome and Greece, hazel was considered a sacred plant, a symbol of life and immortality, and they also believed that a branch of a walnut tree could indicate where treasures were buried, put out a fire, stop a flood, protect against many diseases, etc.

The specific name of hazel, “avellana,” was borrowed from the Romans and comes from the name of the city of Avellino, which was the center of culture and trade in hazelnuts in Ancient Rome.

Literature

1. Abrikosov, Kh. N. and others. Hazel // Dictionary-reference book for beekeepers / Comp. N. F. Fedosov. M.: Selkhozgiz, 1955. P. 171-172.

2. AksyonovaN. A., Vakhrameeva M.G.. Common hazel // Biological flora of the Moscow region; edited by T. A. Rabotnova. M.: Publishing house Mosk. University, 1975. V. 2. P. 18-29.

3. Biological encyclopedic dictionary (edited by M.S. Gilyarov). M. 1986. 820 p.

4. Gubanov, I. A. et al. 435. Corylus avellana L. - Common hazel, or Hazel, Hazelnut // Illustrated guide to plants of Central Russia V 3 T. M.: Scientific T. ed. KMK, Institute of Technology. research, 2003.T. 2. Angiosperms (dicots: dioecytes). P. 33.

5. Grubov V.I. Genus 6. Corylus L. Hazel // Trees and shrubs of the USSR. Wild, cultivated and promising for introduction. / Ed. volumes S.Ya. Sokolov M.L.: From the USSR 1951. T. II. Angiosperms. pp. 380-383. 612 pp. .

6. Elenevsky A.G., M.P. Solovyova, V.N. Tikhomirov // Botany. Systematics of higher or terrestrial plants. M. 2004. 420 p.

7. Plant life (edited by A.L. Takhtadzhyan) 1982. T. 5(1). 425 pp.

8. Kyosev P.A. Medicinal plants: the most complete reference book

M.: Eksmo. 2011. 944 p.

9. Hazel - Corylus L. // Flora of the USSR. In 30 t./ Ch. ed. and ed. volumes acad. V.L. Komarov. M.-L.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1936. T. V. P. 264-265.

10. Rubtsov L.I. Trees and shrubs in landscape architecture. Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 1977.

11. Skvortsov V.E. Flora of Central Russia. M. 2003. 483 p.

12. Shantser I.A. Plants of the central zone of European Russia. 2007.469 p.

Corylus avellana L.

Family - Birch (Betulaceae)

Parts used: fruits, leaves, bark, roots.

Common names: hazel, hazelnut, hazelnut.

Botanical description

Common hazel is a large shrub from the birch family (Betulaceae) with branched stems up to 7 m high, covered with brownish bark. The leaves are alternate, large, oval or round, with unevenly serrated, petiolate along the edges. The flowers are small, wind-pollinated, unisexual. The plants are monoecious. Men's in thick, drooping, multi-flowered earrings. Female ones - two in the axils of the scales, hidden inside the buds, only elongated stigmas are exposed outside. Male flowers have four forked stamens, female flowers have one pistil with a lower ovary and two stigmas. The fruits are single-seeded nuts of various shapes and sizes, with a dense shell, surrounded by a leaf-shaped green plus of overgrown bracts. It blooms in March - April, the fruits ripen in August - September.

Common hazel is widespread in the forest and steppe zones of the European part of Russia and the Caucasus in a zone up to 2000 m above sea level. Grows in deciduous and mixed forests, on the edges, clearings, and in forest ravines.

Collection and preparation

The leaves and fruits are harvested in the summer months. Hazel bark is harvested in August-October or early spring from branches to be removed.

Active ingredients

The seeds contain fat, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins B1 and E, and iron salts. The leaves contain vitamin C, an essential oil that has a vasoconstrictor effect. The bark contains essential oil, tannins and dyes, lignoceryl alcohol, betulin.

Healing effect and application

In folk medicine, hazel nuts are used against urolithiasis, and nuts with honey for rheumatism, and as a general tonic. The oil squeezed out of them, mixed with egg white, is used to treat burns in everyday life. This oil is also lubricated on the head to strengthen the hair. The oil from the seeds is also used as food.

Fresh seeds and various products made from them are nutritious, easily digestible dietary products, components of various therapeutic and preventive menus. By grinding fresh hazel seeds with a small addition of water, “milk” and “cream” are obtained, which are highly nutritious and are recommended for weakened patients.