This shrub grows on the edges of dry forests. It rarely exceeds 3 meters (10 feet) in height and has very flexible stems. Its bark is smooth and gray. The hazel's leaves are simple, oval, pointed, and coarsely toothed.
The beaked hazel is a very cold-hardy shrub, surviving temperatures as low as -50°C (-122°F) in the northern part of its native range. It generally does not exceed 3 meters (8 feet) in height, making it an excellent choice for planting under power lines!
This shrub produces round nuts covered with a pubescent, spiny husk, shaped like a beak, hence the name beaked hazel. Although small, beaked hazel nuts are of good quality and very tasty. They grow in a green shell called the involucre, whose long "beak" explains the species' name. The hazelnuts are ready to be harvested in late August or early September.
A little history…
Archives tell us that First Nations peoples used it as a food source, as well as for its medicinal properties. Infusions of the branches and leaves were used to treat heart ailments, while a decoction of the bark could soothe teething pain in children. However, since the arrival of Europeans, the beaked hazelnut tree seems to have been used only marginally. The locals particularly appreciated its seeds for their delicious taste, considered more flavorful than that of large hazelnuts. Fortunately, the fleshy husk of the hazelnut is irritating, thus protecting the hazelnut tree from commercial harvesting and overexploitation.
Source: Beaked Hazelnut | Mount Royal Official Website (montreal.qc.ca)
