In the summer cottage, you can grow hazel of different types. Common hazel tree Bream on large or Lombard nuts

Hazelnut is a descendant of hazel. They are considered related plants, as they belong to the same family - birch. Wide range of uses and rich chemical composition made the fruits of both trees extremely popular in cooking and medicine.

Hazelnut (hazel) grows in the form of shrubs or trees. There are about 22 varieties of them.

The name of the plant was due to the shape of the foliage, somewhat reminiscent of a bream fish. From above the sheet plate is painted dark in green. It prefers to grow in subtropical and temperate climates, and therefore huge plantations can be found in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Southern Europe, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine. In Russia, hazel can be grown on southern territories and in middle lane.

Forest hazel grows best in mixed, coniferous and deciduous forests. It grows well in oak forest undergrowth, in ravines, abandoned clearings, near water. The most preferred type of soil is moist, fertile and fresh soil, which is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Reaches a height of 7 m. The crown is ovoid with a conical top. Flowers are both female and male. Men's resemble earrings. The fruit is a yellow-brown nut in a leafy wrapper.

The chemical composition of hazelnuts

The fruit of this plant contains almost all the nutrients for the life of the body: vitamins and minerals, fatty acids, carbohydrates and proteins, amino acids. Interestingly, its composition contains 5 times more useful components than eggs; it has more fat than oil; more protein than meat. At the same time, digestibility takes less time.

1. Vitamins: B (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9), E, ​​C, PP, K.
2. Microelements; iodine, cobalt, iron, manganese, fluorine, selenium, zinc, copper.
3. Macronutrients: calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur, magnesium, chlorine.
4. Product calorie content: 703 kcal per 100 g.

Gallery: hazelnuts and hazel (25 photos)

Differences and useful properties

Hazelnut, hazel is called hazelnut. Is there a difference between them? Hazelnut is a type of hazelnut, but is not wild. It is believed that it is a hybrid bred from several types of hazelnut and cultivated.

Hazelnut is also hazel. This term is often understood as varieties of hazel with high yield. It also includes hybrids obtained by crossing with Pontic hazel. Hazelnut belongs to heat-loving plants, and its fruits are larger, sometimes elongated shape. They are highly productive and presentable. presentation. However, not every plant variety is suitable for growing in the middle lane.

As for the content of nutrients and vitamins, they are almost the same in hazel and hazelnuts. Hazel is considered more useful due to its natural growth. Hazelnuts are more high-calorie and have a delicate aroma and not so tart taste.

V traditional medicine the bark, foliage, and wood of the shrub are often used. Forest hazel has the following healing characteristics:

• dilates blood vessels;
• strengthens the immune system;
• helps with gastrointestinal upset;
• kills bacteria and heals wounds;
• reduces cholesterol levels;
• increases the volume of breast milk.

Variety of hazelnut varieties

The most common varieties are as follows:

Popular types of hazel

Hazel differs in no less variety of forms. The most popular varieties are:

How to plant a hazelnut

It is believed that the cultivation of hazel on garden plot – difficult process requiring time and effort. V vivo it grows in the undergrowth and tolerates shade well. It does not require fertile soils, but in a garden it is better to plant it in a sunny area.

Before boarding are made organic fertilizers. The plant loves watering and involves pruning, leaving up to 20 stems. The stems are cut as close to the ground as possible.

Flowering begins early, sometimes before the snow melts, since hazel is a winter-hardy plant.

Features of growing this bush are:

• abundant watering;
• fertile loose and moist soil;
• The maximum allowable tree height is 10 m.

Reproduction at home is carried out by several methods:

This plant is picky in care, but for planting it is advised to select places with good lighting. Hazelnuts do not like thickening when planting, and the soil near it periodically needs to be loosened, but not to hurt the roots.

Hazelnut - hazelnuts like to grow on fertile soil and a large area. It is not necessary to plant one plant, there should be up to 3 different varieties in the garden!

Planting hazelnuts begins in early spring or in autumn, in early October. To receive good harvest, the plant should be fed.

There are several ways to propagate hazelnuts (hazelnuts):

• vaccination;
• vertical layers;
• dividing the bush;
• planting seeds.

Pest and weed control

Hazelnut differs from hazel in that it prefers clean soil around it. In relation to an adult plant, the mulching procedure can be applied. With early shedding of hazel fruits, worminess and dryness of shoots, it is worth thinking about the presence of pests:

• walnut weevil;
• scale insects;
• acorn moth.

Timely cleaning of fallen autumn leaves, cleansing of the bark in the spring and treatment with chemicals help to get rid of them.

Brown leaf spot and powdery mildew are considered characteristic diseases of hazelnut. During irrigation, swamping and waterlogging of the soil should be avoided, which leads to the occurrence of fungal diseases.

When to Harvest

The time when the fruit appears depends on where the hazelnut grows. Usually fruiting occurs in the 4-5th year after planting, and the stage of industrial fruiting occurs in the 5-6th year. Hazelnut fruits should be harvested in August-September, that is, when the technical ripeness of the fruits comes and they have not yet fallen to the ground. Since the branches of the plant are flexible, it is better to have a hook when harvesting to bend them to the ground.

Like all trees, hazelnuts require pruning of root shoots and dried branches. In the case of proper care and thinning, the bush can grow up to 180 years and give a high yield.

There is a difference in the collection and transportation of hazelnuts and hazelnuts. The maturation of hazel usually comes later, and therefore its collection begins, taking into account the climatic features of the area. The main collection is carried out in July-September. If the fruits are not ripe, they will not store well. A normally ripe nut can be distinguished immediately - its peel is yellowish or brown. It is not customary to pick nuts from a bush, and therefore they are manually collected from the ground. Harvesting hazelnuts is more costly.

When collecting hazelnuts, you first need to prepare and clear the place under the bush. The soil is compacted, a tarp is laid on it to shake off the fruits. Proper collection and drying guarantees the normal transportability of the nut.

As you can see, there is not much difference between harvesting hazel and hazelnuts, but the economic benefits are on the side of hazelnuts. This is due to its resistance to pests and large fruits.

Hazelnut, hazelnut or hazel (Corylus avellana) is the name of the same shrub, but there are differences. We will try to find out: what is the difference between hazel and hazelnuts.

biological reference

Hazel or hazelnut grows in the form of shrubs or trees and has up to 22 species.

Genus: hazel (Corylus L)

Family: birch (Betulaceae)

Subfamily: Hazel (Coryloideae)

These shrubs got their name "Hazel" because of the shape of the leaves (large oval, stretched in width, somewhat similar in appearance to bream fish). The leaves are darker green above.

Prefer subtropical and temperate climate, therefore, large plantations of hazel can be observed in Southern Europe, Turkey, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine. In Russia, hazel is represented mainly in the middle lane and southern territories.

Hazel considers coniferous, mixed and broad-leaved forests to be his home. It spreads well in the undergrowth of oak forests. It likes to grow on abandoned clearings, ravines, near water. The preferred soil for hazel is fertile, moist and fresh land, where the direct rays of the sun do not fall.

A bush or tree can reach a height of up to 7 m. The crown has an ovoid, spherical appearance, with a cone-shaped top. The flowers can be male or female, and differ in that the male ones look like catkins and the female ones look like buds. The fruit is a yellow-brown nut in a leaf wrap (plus), similar to a bell.

Hazelnut and hazel

Hazelnuts or hazelnuts are also called hazelnuts. So all the same, hazel and hazelnuts, what's the difference? Hazelnut is one of the varieties of hazelnut, only it is not wild, like hazel, but cultivated. It is believed that hazelnut is a hybrid derived from several varieties of hazelnut and cultivated. In this regard, hazelnuts are larger and contain much more nutrients, as well as protein and fat, compared to hazelnuts.

Types of hazel

Hazel has more than 20 species. Basically, common hazel prevails in our latitudes, but tree-like, Manchurian, multi-leaved and large hazel is also found.

Common hazel (Corylus avellana)

It is a multi-stemmed bush, up to 7 m high, and the crown width can be up to 4 m. common hazel lowered, the leaves have a more rounded shape, 9 cm wide and up to 12 cm long. Flowering, or rather, the appearance of earrings, appears even before the leaves. The fruits can be either single or crowded up to 5 nuts, in a wrapper of two wide leaves. The ripening of the nuts occurs in early autumn (September), which is accompanied by the fall of the nuts. The fruit has a spherical shape with a diameter of 1.5 cm, light brown in color. This type of hazel is found both wild and cultivated. It is the most common in Russia. The main difference from other varieties of hazel is the shape of the nut and leaves.

Tree hazel (Corylus colurna)

It is also called bear nut. The main value of this species is decorative and very tasty nut. This is the only type of hazel that grows as a tree. In the Russian climate, the bear nut usually does not grow more than 8 meters, but in countries with the most favorable climate for the hazel, the tree grows up to 20 m in height. The life span of a tree hazel is about 200 years. The leaves are rather wide ovoid with a root up to 5 cm. Despite the fact that the fruits of this hazel are larger than those of the common hazel, the core itself is smaller. This is due to the fact that the nut shell is very hard and thick. Although it tastes better than hazelnut.

Manchurian hazel (Corylus mandshurica Maxim)

It is a shrub up to 5 m, multi-stemmed, strongly branching towards the crown of trees. Hazel bark with dark cracks gray color. A feature of the Manchurian hazel is that the leaves and fruits are oblong. The nuts are edible, but the wrapper of the fruit is prickly, so peeling the nut is difficult. Distributed by this species hazel in China, in our Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk.

Common hazel (Corylus heterophylla)

The shrub differs from other types of hazel in the presence of bilobed leaves or a truncated top, about 3 m in height. Earrings appear in spring ( male flowers) and reddish buds that are almost invisible (female flowers). Nuts in a leaf wrapper, 2-3 pieces. It is mainly present in the forests of the Far East, China, Korea, and Japan. The shrub is not whimsical to the climate, so it can be planted in the middle lane to St. Petersburg.

Large hazel, or Lombard nut (Corylus maxima Mill)

A rather large shrub, the height of which can be up to 10 m. Fruits (hazelnuts) in a tubular wrapper, which is twice as large as the nut itself. The kernel is very fleshy, elongated, contains many useful properties. It is considered the most delicious of all kinds. It is mainly a cultivated plant, but it is also found growing wild in the forests of Turkey, Asia, and Italy.

Hazel as a cultivated plant

Hazel is used both forest and cultivated (hazelnuts). Hazel is of the greatest value in a cultural form. Today there are more than 100 different varieties. Nuts are quite large, contain a large amount of fat and differ in taste.

Hazel is planted in various ways: layering, offspring of roots, dividing the bush, grafting and seeds. Reproduction occurs in spring and autumn. It is best to start planting hazelnuts in the garden in early spring or autumn along the border of the site. In order for pollination to take place better, 3-5 bushes of mutually pollinated different varieties are planted. This enables annual fruiting.

Hazel begins to bloom in early spring (March-April), and nuts can be harvested in August-September. The main sign of the ripening of nuts is shedding and browning of the cupule.

The meaning and application of hazel

Hazel is used not only in the form of nuts, but almost all parts of the shrub have found their value: leaves, bark, flowers, seeds, roots, wood and fruits.

Hazelnut has a variety of properties, benefits and harms, however, like any product, they are not equal.

Useful properties of hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are the richest source of nutrients. It contains B vitamins, mineral salts, fatty oils, amino acids. The biological properties of the nut are equated to proteins. Therefore, like any protein, hazelnuts are best absorbed separately, or in combination with fruits. In addition, nuts contain iron, potassium, cobalt. These minerals help to recover after physical exertion, promote muscle performance.

Hazel fruits are recommended to include in your diet for people suffering from vascular diseases, nursing mothers to increase lactation. The nut is indispensable for people with cancers of the breast, ovaries, esophagus, Kaposi's sarcoma, as it contains paclitaxel.

Ground nuts diluted with water help:

• with stones in the mail and bladder;
• with fever;
• with flatulence;
• with hemoptysis.

An excellent remedy for burns is a mixture of nuts with egg white. Ground hazelnuts with honey is good for rheumatism, goiter and anemia.

Due to the low content of carbohydrates, nuts can be consumed by people with diabetes.

To stimulate development and strengthen immunity, hazel nuts must be given to children.

Hazelnuts provide invaluable assistance in the preparation of medicines, both in traditional medicine, and in folk in the form of infusions, decoctions, ointments, oils. There are about 40 various diseases, where the properties of the nut contribute to the prevention and recovery from diseases such as:

• bronchopulmonary diseases;
• diabetes;
• vascular diseases;
• skin diseases;
• dystrophy;
• malaria and many others.

The use of hazelnuts can prevent stroke and heart attack, strengthen the immune system, accelerate the healing of the skin, increase the tone of the veins, normalize metabolic processes, increase appetite, improve blood circulation, cleanse the liver, and slow down the aging process.

Hazelnut harm

Despite all beneficial features hazel, the fruit of this plant can also cause harm.

There are strict contraindications to the use of walnut both in its pure form and as part of medicines. If with urolithiasis and kidney stones, the nut has a positive effect, then with other diseases of the kidneys and liver, you should refrain from taking hazelnuts.

Hazelnuts are quite difficult to digest, so you can not eat nuts with gallbladder disease.

Decoctions and infusions with hazelnuts can raise blood pressure. People with hypertension should refrain from taking such drugs.

Before you start taking funds based on hazel or in its pure form, you need to consult a doctor.

Peanut butter

One of the health benefits of hazelnut is oil, which has properties very similar to almond oil.

Hazelnut oil is indicated for use in epilepsy and ascariasis. Very effective as a remedy for hair loss.

The following main beneficial properties of hazel oil can be distinguished:

• as an antihelminthic;
• tonic;
• wound healing;
• regenerating;
• anti-inflammatory.

The oil is actively used by cosmetologists and dermatologists both in its pure form and in the form of creams, ointments, hair and face care products, in aromatherapy.

Tired legs will help relieve a mixture of oils: hazelnut, sesame, calendula and St. John's wort. The mixture is prepared in a ratio of 4:2:1:1, respectively.

Thus, it turns out that between nuts: hazelnuts and hazelnuts, the difference is small and the main difference is in the culture of the plant.

Watch the video of how the walnut is harvested in the south of Russia

Hazelnut or, hazel, grows in large numbers in deciduous forests of the northern hemisphere. The nut got its second name because of the peculiar shape of the leaves, which are very similar in appearance to the bream fish. For a long time it was popular with people and was an object of admiration in Ancient Russia. With its help, they protected the home from evil spirits, the evil eye, lightning and snakes.

Useful and medicinal properties of hazelnuts

Hazelnut is highly valued due to its extraordinary composition. When used, the body receives:

• Essential organic fatty acids;
• Magnesium;
• Calcium;
• Phosphorus;
• Vitamins E, C, A, group B

It is a kind of panacea for many diseases.

Due to the high content of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant, it helps the cells of the body fight free radicals, renew themselves in time, and also has a rejuvenating effect.

In terms of magnesium content, hazel ranks first in comparison with other nuts. This microelement is simply necessary for normal functioning. nervous system and work of the brain. In addition, it increases stress resistance, stabilizes sleep, strengthens nerves, and also activates mental activity. Due to the effect of magnesium on the conductivity of nerve fibers, the risk of arrhythmia is reduced.

Hazel contains a unique substance - pacletaxel, which is an anti-cancer agent that prevents the formation of tumors.

Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium and zinc make the skeleton and teeth strong, improve hormonal levels.

Hazelnut indispensable assistant in the fight against varicose veins and thrombophlebitis, in recovery after illness or surgery.

Regular consumption of nuts helps to get rid of unwanted symptoms for people suffering from weather dependence.

Hazel prevents vision loss, accelerates the synthesis of leukocytes, normalizes arterial pressure, has a low glycemic index.

The benefits and harms of hazelnuts for the body:

Hazelnut and hazelnut: fruit difference

In fact, hazelnuts and hazelnuts are one and the same. Unlike wild-growing hazel, hazelnut is a hybrid bred from several varieties of hazelnut and cultivated.

Hazelnut fruits are much larger than their forest counterpart.

However, real hazelnuts are richer in vitamins and are considered more healing, as they grow in a more environmentally friendly place. Hazel is collected in the forest, which is very labor-intensive and unprofitable, so the cost of confectionery with hazelnuts is much higher than with hazelnuts.

When and how to collect

Most often, nuts ripen in late summer and early autumn.

ATTENTION: Overripe nuts lose a lot of useful properties and become quite dry, so they should be harvested as soon as they ripen.

The first sign of the ripening of a nut is its color. If the nut is ripe, then the color of the hazel will be slightly brown, and then completely become dark. Ripe hazelnuts are also found in August, but fully ripen only at the beginning of autumn. Then you can collect nuts not only on the bushes, but also under them, since mature nuts tend to crumble.

As a rule, the collection of nuts takes place in sunny weather. This process does not take much effort. If the plant is low, then the nuts are simply collected from the branches, but if the plant is high, then the nuts are shaken from it.

REFERENCE: If the plant is tall, then when shaking it is necessary to pull the cloth. If it rains for a long time, then the fruits may become moldy. In addition, nuts can change color.

Peeling hazelnuts at home

This procedure will not take much time, but will require special care. Otherwise, you can easily damage the kernel. When peeling hazelnuts, use a soft, small cloth and a small hammer. Place a piece of cloth on a hard surface and place a walnut on top. Cover the nut with a second piece of cloth and hit the nut with a small hammer. Thus, the shell will crack, and the fruit itself will remain intact.

How to quickly peel hazelnuts:

Drying hazelnuts

If the walnut is not properly dried, toxic and dangerous substances for humans may appear in them. Therefore, nuts should be dried at home on your own.

In the oven

In the oven, you can dry nuts in the shell, as well as without it. To begin with, the oven warms up, after which the fruits are laid out on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven for two and a half hours. The temperature for peeled nuts should be 90 degrees, and for unpeeled nuts should be 120 degrees.

In the microwave

This method is suitable for a small amount of nuts. To do this, use a plate for heating in the microwave and place the nuts there. Dry the nuts for 5 minutes.

ATTENTION: Once reheated, they may appear “undercooked”, but they are not.

In the dryer

With such a combine, you can dry nuts in five hours at a temperature of 90 degrees. REFERENCE! Peel the nuts first.

Outdoors in natural conditions

If it is possible to dry nuts in natural conditions, then they must be placed on a piece of paper in a thin layer and left in a well-lit and ventilated place.

IMPORTANT: At night and during rain, nuts should be removed indoors.

In a week, the nuts will be ready.

in a frying pan

Put the peeled kernels into a preheated pan and put on fire. Stir continuously, frying time 4 minutes. This method will help preserve all the useful properties and extend the shelf life.

How to dry shelled hazelnuts

Hazelnuts in the shell must be placed in a preheated oven and dried at 120 degrees for about two and a half hours.

How to store and how to apply

ATTENTION: When stored in polyethylene, mold appears on the nuts.

The place for storing hazel must be dry. The optimum humidity range is ten to fourteen percent. When a rancid taste appears, the use of a nut is strictly prohibited, as this can provoke poisoning. Unshelled nuts should be stored in a well-closed glass or ceramic container. so that they do not lose their beneficial properties and taste. The shelf life of peeled nuts is three months. Hazel in the shell is stored much longer. It is necessary to ensure low air temperature. At a temperature of three to ten degrees, the shelf life is one year, and from zero to three degrees - four years.

In addition to frequent use in traditional medicine, hazel is also widely used in cosmetology. Hazelnut oil, shells and leaves are also used. Oils are part of creams and face masks. Thanks to a large number useful substances such cosmetics have a beneficial effect on the skin, making it supple and elastic.

Hazelnut leaves are used to create shampoos and balms. Hazelnut extract improves hair growth, strengthens them from the inside and returns shine. The beneficial properties of hazelnut shells are used to create cleansing facial scrubs. From the fruits of hazel, a nut oil that is excellent in taste and easily absorbed by the body is obtained.

Nut butter is added to sauces, pastries, meat and fish dishes, to which it brings a pleasant nutty note. Crushed and whole hazelnuts decorate pastries and desserts.

Common hazel:

Hazelnuts can rightly be called the food of the gods. It's gorgeous food product and medicine at the same time. Whole nuts energize, give strength and give health. But hazel should not be abused, the daily rate should not exceed more than 20 cores. Otherwise, it can cause flatulence, nausea and headache. Also, this product should not be used by children with severe diabetes and people with liver disease.

Hazelnut against cancer:

Since ancient times, Hazel (or Hazel) has been a symbol of fertility, renewal of life and wisdom, strength and justice. Hazel had magical meaning and protected from the evil eye.

In Siberia, the elders believed that on the eve of the Trinity, the souls of their ancestors visit this world and temporarily move into the branches of Hazel.

Knowing about magical properties Hazel, with the help of a forked branch, shamans looked for treasures, water, lost things, and even deposits of gold ore.

It was believed that the branch of Hazel is a conductor of magical powers, so sorcerers made magic wands and staves from them.

names of Hazel

Hazel got its name due to the shape of the leaves, similar to the body of the fish Bream.

The Latin name for Common Hazel is Corylus avellana. This name comes from the city of Avello in Italy, where this plant, rich in gifts, was first cultivated on a large scale.

It is worth noting that Hazel is a wild plant that is the progenitor of Hazelnut. The word hazelnut itself has Turkish roots.

Where does Hazel grow?

Common hazel grows in mixed, broad-leaved and coniferous forests. Often it can be found at the bottom of the ravine and on the edges.

After fires and clearings, the shrub easily and quickly populates the spaces, forming thickets, therefore, in forestry, it is considered a weed.

There are about 17 species of wild Hazel, while its cultivated relative Hazelnut has about 200 varieties.

Hazel's homeland is Europe. In nature, Hazel is found in the Caucasus and the Middle East. The most extensive thickets exist in Norway, beyond the Arctic Circle.

In the mountains, Hazel is found at an altitude of up to two kilometers above sea level.
Hazel, like Filbert, prefers fertile and loose soil.

What does hazel look like

Most often, Hazel looks like a shrub up to 5-7 meters high, but there are also large representatives up to 10 meters high. Lushly spreading many small trunks, the bush attracts bees and other insects in spring, and in autumn all kinds of protein and birds.

The bark is light gray or brown in color and smooth in texture. The leaves are large and wide. The fruits have a hard shell and sit in velvet cups that look like flowers.

The tree begins to bear fruit at the age of 7-8 and can live up to 200 years.

When hazel blossoms

Hazel blooms along ravines and on the edges, in hollows and clearings. Yellow and golden caterpillars stretch out in the spring sun and hang from thin branches.

This is how they look male flowers carrying pollen in the wind. These flowers are a real cure for sleepy bees waking up after the winter cold.

Flowering begins in early spring in March or April depending on the weather and region. Blooming Hazel is a good honey plant.

The fruits ripen in autumn in September and fall to the ground, becoming the prey of birds and forest animals.

Healing properties of Hazel

Hazel and Hazelnut fruits contain fats, proteins and carbohydrates. They are very high in calories and are a real salvation for a traveler who has lost his way in the thicket of the forest.

It has been proven that hazelnuts are more nutritious than soy and meat. In addition, nuts contain fiber, which helps to remove toxins from the body.

Fruits rich in vitamins treat anemia and anemia, strengthen hair and immunity. Nuts crushed with honey will help to cope with rheumatism.

In medicine, the bark, roots and fruits are used. In ancient times, a decoction of the roots was the main remedy for malaria. The bark has antipyretic and antiseptic properties.

Hazel Application

Common hazel is not suitable for obtaining a nut. In today's world, nut harvesting is an ignorant method of extracting this valuable product. Proper extraction of nuts occurs only in special gardens.

Cream, butter, flour and even a coffee surrogate are obtained from the extracted kernel. Everybody knows wide application nuts in the confectionery industry.

Not inferior in quality almond oil from the fruits of Hazelnuts are used in the manufacture of soap. Walnut oil is also the basis of many paints and is used in cosmetics and perfumes.

Hazel wood is small, but it is characterized by high hardness and low brittleness, has beautiful shade and paint well. Basically, Hazel wood is used for small products.

Contraindications

A large amount of fat contained in nuts is contraindicated for people who are obese and people who have problems with the pancreas.

In addition, the use of any nuts should always be moderate. A day is enough to eat a handful of nuts, which fits in the palm of your hand.

Hazel - Interesting Facts

Burning the thin branches of Hazel without access to air, the artists made coals for drawing.

Hazel has been known in the world for more than 6 thousand years, while archaeological excavations indicate that the progenitors of Hazel existed 50 million years ago.

The main truffle production is concentrated in European walnut groves.

In Babylon, because of its ability to stimulate brain activity, the common people were forbidden to eat hazelnuts.

The oldest representative of the wild Hazel grows in the Crimea and has a bush girth at the roots of 4.7 meters. The age of Hazel is approximately 200 years.

Thanks to its unique palatability and excellent decorative effect, has long won the respect of gardeners around the world. The cultivated crops, also known as hazelnuts, are grown in industrial scale in the southern regions. Wild thickets are found in the forests of the Southern Urals and Perm Territory, mountains of the Caucasus. Today we’ll talk about what a hazel is, is it a shrub or a tree, how is it grown and used? We will learn about the types and distribution of this plant on the planet, about the intricacies of caring for it, which increase its productivity and decorative qualities.

Hazel: is it a shrub or a tree?

Hazel combines the genus of shrubs, but among more than 20 species of its representatives there are also trees. For example, the bear nut, which will be discussed later, is a magnificent specimen of a tree, slender and tall, with a beautiful crown shape. But most types of hazel are still shrubs, the wild forms of which form a dense undergrowth. The most common and of high economic importance is the forest hazel, or common hazel. The history of the origin of the word "hazel" is interesting. This primordially Russian name comes from the noticed similarity of the outlines of the shrub leaf with the shape of the body of the lake fish bream, known since ancient times as the breadwinner of the Russians.

What does hazel look like?

The vast majority of hazel species belong to deciduous shrubs with large rounded leaves of magnificent rich green color. Hazel gravitates towards heat, moistened fertile soil deciduous forests and gets along well with their permanent residents: oaks, elms, maples, prevailing in the undergrowth and often forming a solid wall. Wild hazel species are branched shrubs with large quantity stems coming from the rhizome. In height they reach 3-5 meters. Bushes can propagate vegetatively (offspring and cuttings) or seeds - nuts. They begin to bear fruit at 6-7 years of age. seed propagation, on the 4th year - with vegetative reproduction. In summer, a hazel bush is easy to identify by its oval-shaped leaves, decorated along the edge with small teeth and a sharp tip. The hazel leaf is distinguished by a slightly rough texture to the touch.

In general, the hazel culture is a shrub 5-6 meters tall with even bark, the color of which varies from grayish to terracotta brown. Young shoots are usually painted in gray-green tones, interspersed with small yellowish specks. Young shoots are similar in appearance to linden shoots, differing only in fairly dense pubescence. Hazel shoots are easy to confuse with elm. Both leaves and bark are very similar in color and texture. But there are also differences. An elm, like a real tree, always has only one trunk, and the young shoots of hazel are numerous, which is characteristic of a shrub. In addition, hazel has oval gray-green buds, while elm has reddish and spiky buds.

View features

Hazel is a shrub or tree belonging to monoecious plants, but with separate formation of male and female flowers on the same culture. Male catkin flowers are collected in soft yellowish inflorescences, similar to birch or alder catkins. Laid in June-July, in autumn they are already clearly visible and bloom in early spring, as soon as the plant overwinter. The wind picks up and carries the pollen.

The female inflorescences are practically invisible. Consisting of small, tightly pressed flowers, they are located inside special buds, also formed in the previous season. During the flowering period, the leaf scales that cover the inflorescences move apart, allowing wind-blown pollen to be caught in a bunch of bright red stigmas.

Hazel species

The genus of hazel, numbering almost 20 species, is represented by a variety of cultures. All of them are different, but many species are distinguished by high frost resistance and longevity. Hazel is unpretentious, grows on various soils, but develops more successfully and bears fruit on more fertile soils. Regardless of the type, the hazel (it is a shrub or a tree) is moisture-loving, but it does not need excess water. For the most part, it is able to endure a slight shading, but in open sunny areas, the decorative effect and yield of hazelnuts are as high as possible. Here are some types of hazel.

common hazel

This species is represented by a large multi-stemmed shrub up to 4-6 meters high with a wide spreading crown. A feature of the species is the flowering of the plant before the leaves bloom. That's why bees love hazel so much. Golden hazel catkins, appearing long before the mass flowering of trees and shrubs, help the bees recuperate after a long winter. The leaves of common hazel are dull green, light on the reverse side, in autumn they turn yellow together. The growth of hazel is uneven. In the early years, it develops slowly. In the 5-6th year, it grows sharply, forming many young shoots. In nature, forest hazel is distributed throughout the European territory of Russia and on the Crimean peninsula, in Western Europe and in the Caucasus.

Bear nut, or tree hazel

The bear nut is a representative of tree-like species, standing out from the general structure of relative shrubs. This medium size a tree up to 15-20 meters high and with a crown diameter of up to 6-8 meters, having a slender beautiful trunk.

The magnificent broad-pyramidal is beautiful and different from the crowns of other species with dense dark green foliage, blooming very early and remaining on the branches for a long time. Hazel is a tree covered with whitish-gray bark, leaving in narrow plates. The bear nut grows quickly, is shade-tolerant and frost-resistant, it is not afraid of drought, but it develops better on soils fertilized with humus. The fruits are nuts of a peculiar kind, with a delicate wrapper, dissected into thin serrated slices. Hazel is a tree-like rare, albeit undemanding culture: it easily adapts, its life expectancy reaches 200 years, it reproduces by layering and seeds. Wild hazel is a tree that is found in the Caucasus and the Balkans, in Asia Minor. Tree hazel is a rare guest in broad-leaved mountain forests. In Russia, culture is protected in nature reserves. Bear nut is decorative, excellent for decorating streets and alleys, effective in linear plantings.

Lombard walnut (large hazel)

Monumentally tall hazel, shrub with magnificent straight gray branches, growing up to 10 meters in height. The leaves are rounded and serrated at the edges. Lombard walnut is a thermophilic culture, its winter hardiness is low.

Cultivated since ancient times as a nut shrub, the large hazel is common in the Balkans and Asia Minor.

The bush produces dense pubescent annual shoots. The leaves of this culture are broadly oval, almost round, up to 10-12 cm in diameter, heart-shaped at the base, ending in a short and sharp apex. A magnificent decoration are large men's earrings, reaching ten centimeters. The fruits form crowded rosettes, in which they can be up to 8 pieces, protected by a fluffy tubular wrapper.

The Lombard walnut is the ancestor of cultivated varieties of hazelnuts of industrial importance. It develops excellently on fertilized fertile, breathable soils and is often used in landscaping as an ornamental shrub.

Red-leaved form of hazel

Such forms of hazel are very spectacular due to the unusual color of the foliage and are a multi-stemmed, tall (up to 4 meters) shrub with dark purple large leaves, a red fruit wrapper and a walnut kernel painted in pink tones. Red-leaved hazel is an extremely ornamental shrub. But he is a true southerner, and the harsh winters of temperate Russian latitudes are detrimental to these types of hazel. However, warming for the winter gives good results: the plant survives, but does not bloom and does not bear fruit. Leaving behind only a decorative function, it creates a unique surroundings on the site.

Manchurian hazel

Frost-resistant and very shade-tolerant Manchurian hazel is common in the Far East, Primorye, Korea, and North China. It is a shrub up to 4-5 m tall with multiple strongly branching shoots. She is famous medicinal properties fruits and decorative qualities: bark of brown tones, densely pubescent young shoots, wide soft leaves- dark green in summer, acquiring bright orange or luxurious golden tones in autumn. The fruit of the Manchurian hazel is a pointed nut, which is valued in Chinese medicine for its excellent anti-inflammatory qualities.

hazel

Shrub, reaching three meters in height, with a dense, spreading crown. Hazel variegated got its name due to the change in color shades of foliage in one vegetative period. Leaves unusual shape, wide obovate with three teeth at the top, when blooming, have a terracotta hue, in summer - juicy dark green tones, and a golden-orange palette envelops the hazel in autumn. The variegated hazel perfectly tolerates even severe drought, is frost-resistant, and is distinguished by ultra-early fruiting. The species is photophilous, but tolerates some shading calmly. Distribution received in the east of Siberia, in Asia, in the Far Eastern regions of Russia. It occurs in the undergrowth of mixed and pine forests, as well as on edges, clearings, on hillsides, forming impenetrable thickets.

hazel horned

A lush multi-stemmed shrub, not exceeding three meters in height, got its name from the appearance of the outer tubular wrapper of the fruit, clasping it and twisting into a tube, resembling a small horn. On pubescent legs are single or paired fruits. Nuts are large (up to 1.5 cm), edible, but poorly separated from the wrapper. The species is frost-resistant and unpretentious.

Cultivated since 1745. In nature, the plant is common in the eastern part of the North American states.

Application

Hazel is great ornamental plant. It is used in alley plantings and hedges. But in the southern regions, hazel is grown as a food crop. Hazelnut is a product of high nutritional value. It contains substances necessary for the body: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, almost all groups of vitamins, as well as a number of macro- and microelements and their unique compounds. V Food Industry Walnut is traditionally popular due to its high nutritional value and excellent taste. It is indispensable in the production of confectionery and all kinds of sweets, it is used as a filler in the manufacture of chocolate, creams, icing and caramel. Whole roasted hazelnuts are a favorite delicacy of many.

Hazel plant species (wild and cultivated) have excellent decorative qualities and give tasty and healthy fruits.