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 have made the fruits of both trees extremely popular in cooking and medicine.
Hazelnuts (hazelnuts) grow in the form of shrubs or trees. There are about 22 varieties.
The plant received its name due to the shape of the foliage, somewhat reminiscent of bream fish. The top of the leaf plate is painted dark 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, and 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, and near water. The most preferable type of soil is considered to be moist, fertile and fresh soil, which is not exposed to direct Sun rays.
Reaches a height of 7 m. Crown ovoid with a conical top. The flowers are both female and male. Men's ones resemble earrings. The fruit is a yellow-brown nut in a leaf wrapper.
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 contains more fat than butter; more protein than meat. At the same time, less time is required for digestion.
- Vitamins: B (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9), E, C, PP, K.
- Microelements; iodine, cobalt, iron, manganese, fluorine, selenium, zinc, copper.
- Macroelements: calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur, magnesium, chlorine.
- Calorie content of the product: 703 kcal per 100 g.
Gallery: hazelnuts and hazel (25 photos)
Differences and useful properties
Hazelnuts and hazelnuts are called hazelnuts. Is there a difference between them? Hazelnut - variety hazelnut, but is not wild. It is believed to be a hybrid, bred from several species of hazelnut and cultivated.
Hazelnuts are also hazel. This term often refers to hazel varieties with high yields. It also includes hybrids obtained by crossing with Pontian hazel. Hazelnuts are heat-loving plants, and their fruits are larger, sometimes elongated. They are distinguished by high yield and presentable presentation. However, not every plant variety is suitable for growing in the middle zone.
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 growth in natural environment. Hazelnuts are higher in calories and have a subtle aroma and less tart taste.
IN folk medicine bark, foliage and shrub wood are often used. Hazel has the following healing properties:
- dilates blood vessels;
- strengthens the immune system;
- helps with gastrointestinal disorders;
- kills bacteria and heals wounds;
- reduces cholesterol levels;
- increases the volume of breast milk.
Variety of hazelnut varieties
The most common varieties are the following:
Popular types of hazel
Hazel has no less variety of forms. The most popular varieties are:
How to plant hazelnuts
It is believed that growing hazel on garden plot – difficult process, requiring effort and time. Under natural conditions, it grows in undergrowth and tolerates shade normally. It does not require fertile soil, but in garden conditions it is better to plant it in a sunny area.
Before planting, make organic fertilizers. The plant loves watering and requires pruning, leaving up to 20 stems. The stems are cut as close to the ground as possible.
Flowering begins early, sometimes before the snow begins to melt, since hazel is a winter-hardy plant.
Features of growing this bush are:
- abundant watering;
- fertile, loose and moist soil;
- The maximum permissible tree height is 10 m.
Reproduction at home is carried out using several methods:
This plant is not picky in its care, but for planting it is recommended to select places with good lighting. When planting, hazelnuts do not like thickening, and the soil around it periodically needs to be loosened, but so as not to touch the roots.
Hazelnut - hazelnut likes to grow in fertile soil and large plot. There is no need to plant one plant; there should be up to 3 different varieties in the garden!
Planting hazelnuts begins in early spring or already in autumn, at the beginning of October. To receive good harvest, the plant should be fed.
Hazelnuts can be propagated in several ways:
- vaccination;
- vertical layering;
- dividing the bush;
- planting seeds.
Pest and weed control
Hazelnuts differ from hazels in that they prefer clean soil around them. In relation to an adult plant, the mulching procedure can be applied. With early shedding of hazel fruits, wormy and dry shoots, it is worth thinking about the presence of pests:
- nut weevil;
- scale insects;
- acorn moth.
Timely removal of fallen autumn leaves, cleansing of the bark in the spring and treatment with chemicals help get rid of them.
Typical diseases of hazelnuts are brown leaf spot and powdery mildew. During irrigation, you should avoid waterlogging and waterlogging of the soil, which leads to the occurrence of fungal diseases.
When to Harvest
The time the fruit appears depends on where the hazelnut grows. Typically, fruiting occurs in the 4-5th year after planting, and the stage of industrial fruiting occurs in the 5th-6th year. Hazelnut fruits should be collected in August-September, that is, when the fruits are technically ripe and they have not yet fallen to the ground. Since the branches of the plant are flexible, it is better to have a hook to bend them to the ground when harvesting.
Like all trees, hazelnuts require pruning of roots and dried branches. With proper care and thinning, the bush can grow up to 180 years and produce a high yield.
There is a difference in the collection and transportation of hazelnuts and hazelnuts. 
Hazel ripening usually occurs later, and therefore its collection begins taking into account the climatic characteristics of the area. The main collection takes place in July-September. If the fruits are not ripe, they will not store well. A normally ripened nut can be distinguished immediately - its peel is yellowish or brown. It is not customary to pick nuts from the bush, and therefore they are collected manually from the ground. Harvesting hazelnuts is more expensive.
When collecting hazelnuts, you first need to prepare and clear the space under the bush. The soil is compacted and a tarpaulin is laid on it to shake off the fruit. Proper collection and drying guarantee normal transportability of the nut.
As you can see, there is no particular difference between the collection of hazels and hazelnuts, but the economic benefit is on the side of the hazelnuts. This is due to its resistance to pests and large fruits.
Hazelnuts and hazelnuts are the same thing, they differ only in size. Hazelnuts are all nuts of large-fruited varieties of hazel (common hazel and large hazel). Hazelnuts have high nutritional value, so they are grown on large farms in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, and Catalonia.
Hazelnut tree grows in forests and farms
Characteristics of common hazel
Hazelnut (hazel, hazel) belongs to the Hazel genus of the Birch family. This foliage plant, bush. Hazel usually grows on the edges of deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. What does common hazel look like:
- The hazel bush reaches five meters in height.
- The crown has a shape similar to an egg.
- The bark of the trunk is light brown, smooth, the bark of the branches is covered with light fluff.
- The leaves are similar to birch, round or ovoid with a pointed tip. The leaf color is dark green.
- The fruits are large nuts in a strong shell. The outside of the nuts is surrounded by leafy shoots.
For forestry, hazel is a weed. It quickly reproduces by vegetative means, forming root suckers, and occupies the entire area of deforestation.
For Food Industry hazelnuts are extremely valuable. That is why it was cultivated and began to be grown on farms. Growing hazel is easy. You need soil rich in minerals (chernozem is excellent), moderate amount moisture, mild climate. There is virtually no need to care for hazelnuts.
Hazel usually takes the form of a bush
How and when does hazel bloom?
Hazel leaves in the southern regions bloom in last days March, in the northern regions the crown turns green in April - early May. Hazelnuts bloom in early March before the leaf buds open.
How does hazel bloom? The plant has male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers. The stamens are hidden in catkins, like those of a birch tree. 3–5 earrings bloom from one bud. At normal conditions they reach 10 cm in length.
Female flowers They consist of a pistil and an underdeveloped perianth, and have the appearance of a bud. A bright red fluff of stigmas can be seen from the buds. The larger the fluff, the more flowers are hidden in the bud. Hazel is pollinated by the wind. Catkins begin to release pollen in April, a process that lasts about two weeks. Pistil stigmas collect pollen from their plant or from neighbors.
Male hazel inflorescences
Characteristics of hazel fruits
The fruits of common hazel are hazelnuts, almost spherical nuts of light brown color. Compared to other types of hazel, they are large in size, and hazelnuts bear fruit annually. Plants grown in cultivation bear fruit for the first time in the third year of life (after seed germination).
Hazelnuts are one of the most expensive and valuable types of nut. This is due to its unique chemical composition. Hazelnuts contain everything necessary for a person substances. The nutritional value of nuts, the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, is 98%. To fully cover energy needs, a person only needs to eat 300 grams of hazelnuts per day. Nuts are also rich in the following beneficial substances:
- Vitamins - vitamin A (retinol), C (ascorbic acid), E (tocopherol), group B (thiamine, riboflavin, choline, pantothenic acid, choline, pyridoxine).
- Macroelements – calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus.
- Microelements – iron, zinc, manganese, copper, selenium.
- Unsaturated fatty acids.
- Polysaccharides – starch, cellulose.
- Amino acids.
Hazelnuts are easily digested and absorbed, so the body receives maximum benefits.
Hazelnuts are extremely nutritious
Applications of hazelnuts
Thanks to its high yield, unique nutritional value Due to their excellent taste, hazelnuts are widely used in the food industry, especially in the confectionery industry. What is made from hazelnuts:
- oil;
- hazelnut flour;
- hazelnut paste.
Flour and paste are added to curd, cheese spreads, ice cream, sweets, and sauces. Whole roasted peanuts are added to chocolate bars and candies.
The quality of hazelnuts is inconsistent; over time, they lose moisture and some nutrients, and may become bitter. Therefore, a distinction is made between first grade (new harvest) and second grade (old harvest) hazelnuts. The most delicious and healthy products are obtained from young nuts.
Hazelnuts are especially valued in making desserts
Why is it worth growing hazel?
You can get a rich hazelnut harvest with own garden. Even a novice gardener can cope with growing hazel. Advantages of growing hazel on a private farm:
- Endurance, unpretentiousness. The plant adapts well to external conditions and does not require painstaking care. It is important to immediately provide hazel with healthy growth conditions (fertile soil, diffused lighting, moderate humidity).
- High yield. Hazel produces rich harvests every year. From one bush you can collect about 7 kg of hazelnuts.
- Long shelf life of nuts. At the right conditions the crop retains its beneficial properties and taste for 1.5–2 years.
- High price of nuts. If you have planted a lot of bushes, you can sell the nuts to confectionery factories or wholesale centers.
- The hazel bushes are very beautiful; the hazel tree on the site looks unusual.
Hazel bushes are usually planted in rows. The row spacing can be used to grow other garden plants.
Hazelnuts produce a good harvest and store well
Varieties of cultivated hazel
Today there are several varieties of hazel that are grown by gardeners. They differ in appearance, yield characteristics and have some care features. The most commonly grown hazelnut varieties are:
- Barcelona hazelnuts;
- Cosford;
- Gallic;
- Warsaw red.
Cosford hazelnuts were developed in England, while Gallic hazelnuts are a German variety. The origin of the Barcelona and Warsaw varieties is clear from the names. Plants of different varieties have different external characteristics. You can choose a variety based on personal preferences.
Barcelona hazel bushes have powerful growth and form a wide crown. The main advantage of the variety is frost resistance. Hazel will be able to preserve buds and flowers after spring frosts. The plant has large leaves, the top plate is dark green, the bottom is lighter. The variety begins to bloom in mid-April. Fruiting begins early. The variety has increased productivity. Hazel fruits are very large, have different shapes(most often flattened). When the nuts ripen, the surrounding shell bursts, releasing them outside.
Nut kernels have amazing taste. They are juicy and sweetish. Hazel has one drawback: it is susceptible to diseases, especially moniliasis.
Barcelona hazelnuts
Main characteristics of the Cosford variety:
- Great vigor, large bushes with a dense crown.
- Average frost resistance.
- The leaves bloom dark green and begin to turn red in the fall.
- The flowering period is early (early April).
- The nuts are large, round and flattened. The shell is thin and turns reddish-brown when ripe.
- The nut kernels completely occupy the shell and are covered with a fibrous film. The nuts taste juicy and sweet.
- Early fruiting.
- High yield.
- The fruit ripening period is the end of September.
Cosford grows in warm regions. It is important to provide plants with protection from the wind. The variety acts as a pollinator for other varieties (Gallic, Nottingham hazelnuts, etc.). Cosford is characterized by self-pollination.
Cosford hazelnuts produce large nuts
Hazel bushes of the Gallic variety have a crown with medium leaf density. The average plant height is 5.5 meters. Hazelnut leaves are dark green in color and covered with rough hair. In spring, a large number of catkins are formed, they bloom in clusters of 6-7 pieces. The standard flowering period is mid-April. The fruits are shaped like a cone, are large in size, and easily fall out of the fruit shell. The kernels are enclosed in a thick shiny shell. They are dense and moderately sweet in taste.
Gallic hazelnut - late-ripening variety
Gallic hazelnuts ripen later than their counterparts - in early October. Harvest ahead of schedule it is forbidden.
The variety produces rich harvests, but is very demanding in terms of maintenance conditions. Regular application of organic fertilizers is required. It is best to grow hazelnuts on elevated terrain. The soil should not be excessively wet.
The variety is not self-pollinating. It is pollinated by other hazel species.
Warsaw red hazelnuts
Warsaw red refers to decorative varieties hazel The crown has a spherical shape. The leaves of the plant are red, turning green in summer. The fruits are large in size. The ripening period is the second half of September. The yield of the variety is less than that of the Gallic hazelnut. The flowers are pollinated by other hazel trees.
Any nuts are not only very tasty, but also useful product, since they contain a large amount important elements and vitamins that the human body needs. Therefore, people often buy them and also plant trees or shrubs on their plots. One such popular shrub is hazelnut. It produces small but tasty fruits.
Features of hazelnut
Hazelnuts can most often be found in central Russia. It usually grows as a shrub, but trees are also found. It has wide and large leaves that are light green in color. Hazel can most often be seen in coniferous or mixed forests. He also loves places in ravines and near water.
At favorable conditions a tree or bush can grow up to seven meters in height. The fruits of this plant are nuts that are dark brown in color. Hazel prefers fertile soils, as well as places that do not receive direct sunlight. The flowers of such a plant can be male or female, they differ in appearance. Female flowers resemble buds, but male flowers look like earrings.
Hazelnut also has another name, namely hazel or hazelnut. Very often people think that these are the same plants and there is absolutely no difference in them.
But in reality this is far from the case. Hazelnut hazelnut is wild plant. It has fruits small size, and they are also oval in shape.
Currently, there are more than 20 types of hazel. But most often in the middle zone you can see the following varieties of this tree:
- common hazel;
- Manchurian;
- tree-like;
- variegated;
- large.
Hazelnuts also improve metabolism, strengthen the immune system, and also increase vascular tone. It is useful for women to eat it to maintain beauty and youth.
Planting, care and cultivation of hydrangea in Siberia
In folk medicine, you can use not only hazelnut or hazel fruits, but also bark, leaves and even wood. From them you can make decoctions, tinctures or other healthy drinks. For example, with the help of tinctures of hazelnut bark you can cure colds and varicose veins veins A special infusion is made from its shell, which can be given to small children for stomach colic.
But we should not forget that hazelnut has contraindications. There are not many of them, but they still exist. For example, such a product is contraindicated for people who have liver problems, as well as those with severe diabetes mellitus. And it should not be eaten by people who have an individual intolerance to this product.
Thanks to its unique taste and excellent decorative properties, it has long won the respect of gardeners around the world. The resulting 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 region, Caucasus mountains. Today we’ll talk about what a hazel tree is, is it a shrub or a tree, how is it grown and used? Let's learn about types and distribution of this plant on the planet, about the intricacies of caring for it, increasing its productivity and decorative qualities.
Hazel: is it a shrub or a tree?
Hazel unites 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 further, is a magnificent specimen of a tree, slender and tall, with beautiful shape crowns But most types of hazel are still shrubs, the wild forms of which form a dense undergrowth in the forest. The most widespread and of high economic importance is the hazel, or common hazel. The history of the origin of the word “hazel” is interesting. It's primordial Russian name came from the noticed similarity of the outlines of a bush leaf with the body shape 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 are deciduous shrubs with large, rounded leaves of a magnificent rich green color. Hazel gravitates towards warmth, moisture fertile soils broad-leaved forests and gets along well with their permanent inhabitants: oaks, elms, maples, dominating the undergrowth and often forming a solid wall. Wild hazel species are branched shrubs with a large number of stems coming from the rhizome. They reach a height of 3-5 meters. Bushes can reproduce vegetatively (offsprings and cuttings) or by seeds - nuts. They begin to bear fruit in the 6-7th year with seed propagation, and in the 4th year with vegetative reproduction. In summer, a hazel bush can be easily identified by its leaves, which have an oval shape and are decorated along the edges with small teeth and a sharp tip. The hazel leaf has a slightly rough texture to the touch.
Basically, the hazel crop is a shrub 5-6 meters in height with smooth bark, the color of which varies from grayish to terracotta-brown. Young shoots are usually colored gray-green, interspersed with small yellowish specks. Young shoots appearance similar to linden shoots, differs only in rather dense pubescence. Hazel shoots can easily be confused with elm. Both their leaves and bark are very similar in color and texture. But there are also differences. The elm, like a real tree, always has only one trunk, and the young growth of hazel is multiple, which is typical of a shrub. In addition, hazel has oval gray-green buds, while elm has reddish and pointed buds.
Features of the view
Hazel is a shrub or tree belonging to monoecious plants, but with separate formation of male and female flowers on the same crop. Male earring flowers are collected in soft yellowish inflorescences, similar to birch or alder catkins. Laid in June-July, in the fall they are already clearly visible and bloom in early spring, as soon as the plant overwinters. The wind picks up and carries pollen.
The female inflorescences are practically invisible. Consisting of small flowers tightly pressed together, they are located inside special buds, also formed in the previous season. During the flowering period, the leaf scales covering the inflorescences move apart, allowing the pollen carried by the wind to be caught in a bunch of bright red stigmas.
Types of hazel
The hazel genus, numbering almost 20 species, is represented by a variety of crops. They are all different, but many species are distinguished by high frost resistance and longevity. Hazel is unpretentious, grows on various soils, but develops and bears fruit more successfully on more fertile soils. Regardless of the type, 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 withstand slight shading, but in open sunny areas The decorative effect and productivity 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 peculiarity of the species is that the plant blooms before the leaves bloom. This is why bees love hazel so much. Golden hazel catkins, which appear long before the mass flowering of trees and shrubs, help bees restore strength after a long winter. Common hazel leaves are matte green, with reverse side light, in the fall they turn yellow. Hazel growth is uneven. In the first years it develops slowly. In the 5th-6th year it grows sharply, forming many young shoots. In nature, hazel is distributed throughout the European territory of Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, in Western Europe and in the Caucasus.
Bear nut, or tree hazel
Bear nut is a representative of the tree species, sticking out from general system relative shrubs. This average 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 wide-pyramidal is beautiful and differs from the crowns of other species by its dense dark green foliage, which blooms very early and remains on the branches for a long time. Hazel is a tree covered with whitish-gray bark, coming off in narrow plates. 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 type, with a delicate wrapper, cut into thin jagged slices. Tree hazel is a rare, albeit undemanding crop: it is easily adaptable, its life expectancy reaches 200 years, and it is propagated 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 deciduous mountain forests. In Russia, culture is protected in nature reserves. Bear nut is decorative, excellent for decorating streets and alleys, and effective in linear plantings.
Lombard nut (large hazel)
Monumentally tall hazel, a shrub with magnificent straight branches gray, growing up to 10 meters in height. The leaves are round and jagged at the edges. Lombardy nut is a heat-loving crop and has low winter hardiness.
Cultivated since ancient times as a nut-bearing shrub, 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 with a short and sharp apex. Large men's earrings, reaching ten centimeters, are an excellent decoration. The fruits form crowded rosettes, in which there can be up to 8 pieces, protected by a fluffy tubular wrapper.
The Lombard nut is the ancestor of cultivated hazelnut varieties of industrial importance. It grows 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 impressive 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 nut kernel colored 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 destructive for these types of hazel. However, winter insulation gives good results: the plant survives, but does not bloom or bear fruit. Leaving behind only decorative function, it creates a unique ambience on the site.
Manchurian hazel
Frost-resistant and very shade-tolerant Manchurian hazel is common in the Far East, Primorye, Korea, and Northern China. It is a shrub up to 4-5 m tall with multiple highly branched shoots. She's famous medicinal properties fruits and decorative qualities: brown bark, 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 that is valued for Chinese medicine for its excellent anti-inflammatory properties.
Variegated hazel
A shrub reaching three meters in height, with a dense, spreading crown. Variegated hazel got its name due to the change color shades foliage in one growing season. The leaves are of an unusual shape, wide, obovate with three teeth at the top when blooming, have a terracotta tint, and are succulent in summer. dark green tones, and a golden-orange palette envelops the hazel tree in autumn. Variegated hazel perfectly tolerates even severe drought, is frost-resistant, and is characterized by very early fruiting. The species is light-loving, but tolerates some shading calmly. It has become widespread in eastern Siberia, Asia, and the Far Eastern regions of Russia. Found in the undergrowth of mixed and pine forests, as well as on the edges, clearings, and on hillsides, forming impenetrable thickets.
Horned hazel
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 curling into a tube reminiscent of a small horn. Single or paired fruits are located on pubescent stalks. The nuts are large (up to 1.5 cm), edible, but difficult to separate from the wrapper. The species is frost-resistant and unpretentious.
Cultivated since 1745. In nature, the plant is distributed in the eastern part of the North American states.
Application
Hazel is magnificent as 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 concentrated 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. The nut has traditionally been popular in the food industry due to its high nutritional value and excellent taste. It is indispensable in the production of confectionery and all kinds of sweets, and is used as a filler in the production of chocolate, creams, glazes and caramel. Whole roasted hazelnuts are a favorite delicacy for many.
The hazel plant species (wild and cultivated) have excellent decorative qualities and produce tasty and healthy fruits.
Hazelnut, hazelnut or hazel (Corylus avellana) are the names of the same shrub, but there are differences. Let's try to find out: what is the difference between hazel and hazelnut.
Biological certificate
Hazel or hazelnut grows in the form of shrubs or trees and there are 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 wide, somewhat similar in appearance to bream fish). The leaves are darker green on top.
They prefer subtropical and temperate climates, so large hazel plantations can be observed in Southern Europe, Turkey, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus, and Ukraine. In Russia, hazel is represented mainly in the middle zone and southern territories.
The hazel tree considers coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests to be its home. It spreads well in the undergrowth of oak forests. It likes to grow in abandoned clearings, ravines, and near water. The preferred soil for hazel is fertile, moist and fresh soil that is not exposed to direct sunlight.
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. Flowers can be male or female, and differ in that the male ones look like earrings, and the female ones look like buds. The fruit is a yellow-brown nut in a leaf wrapper (plush), similar to a bell.
Hazelnuts and hazel
Hazelnuts or hazelnuts are also called hazelnuts. So, what is the difference between hazel and hazelnut? Hazelnuts are one of the varieties of hazelnuts, but they are not wild-growing, like hazel, but cultivated. It is believed that hazelnuts are a hybrid, bred from several varieties of hazelnuts and cultivated. In this regard, the hazelnut is larger and contains much more more quantity nutrients, as well as protein and fat, compared to hazelnuts.
Types of hazel
Hazel has more than 20 species. Basically, in our latitudes, common hazel predominates, but tree hazel, Manchurian hazel, variegated and large hazel are 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. The runs of the common hazel are drooping, the leaves have a more rounded shape, 9 cm wide and up to 12 cm long. Flowering, or more precisely, the appearance of catkins, appears to the leaves. The fruits can be either single or clustered up to 5 nuts, in a wrapper of two wide leaves. The nuts ripen in early autumn (September), which is accompanied by the falling of the nuts. The fruit is spherical in shape, 1.5 cm in diameter, and 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 its decorative and very tasty nut. This the only kind hazel, which grows in the form of a tree. In the Russian climate, bear nut usually does not grow more than 8 meters, but in countries with the most favorable climate for hazel, the tree grows up to 20 m in height. The lifespan of tree hazel is about 200 years. The leaves are quite wide, ovoid in shape, with a root up to 5 cm. Despite the fact that the fruits of this hazel are larger than those of ordinary 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 bush up to 5 m, multi-stemmed, highly branched towards the tree crown. Hazel bark with dark gray cracks. A peculiarity of Manchurian hazel is that the leaves and fruits are oblong. The nuts are edible, but the fruit's wrapper is prickly, so peeling the nut is difficult. Distributed by this type hazel in China, in our Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk.
Variegated 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. In spring, catkins (male flowers) and reddish buds appear, which are almost invisible (female flowers). Nuts in a sheet wrapper, 2-3 pieces each. Mainly present in the forests of the Far East, China, Korea, and Japan. The shrub is not picky about the climate, so it can be planted in the middle zone up to St. Petersburg.
Large hazel, or Lombard nut (Corylus maxima Mill)
A fairly large shrub, the height of which can be up to 10 m. The fruits (hazelnuts) are in a tubular wrapper, which is twice the size of the nut itself. The kernel is very fleshy, elongated, and contains many useful properties. It is considered the most delicious of all types. This 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 (hazelnut). Hazel is of greatest value in its cultivated form. Today there are more than 100 different varieties. The nuts are quite large, contain a large amount of fat and differ in taste.
The hazel tree is being planted different ways: layering, root shoots, 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 occur better, 3-5 bushes of different varieties of inter-pollinating plants are planted. This allows for annual fruiting.
Hazel begins to bloom in early spring (March - April), and nuts can be collected in August - September. The main sign of ripening of nuts is shedding and browning of the plums.
The meaning and use of hazel
Hazel is used not only in the form of nuts, but almost all parts of the bush have found their significance: leaves, bark, flowers, seeds, roots, wood and fruits.
The hazelnut has a variety of properties, the 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. Biological properties nuts are equivalent to proteins. Therefore, like any proteins, hazelnuts are best absorbed separately, or when taken together with fruit. In addition, nuts contain iron, potassium, and cobalt. These minerals help to recover after physical activity and promote muscle performance.
Hazel fruits are recommended to be included in the diet of people suffering from vascular diseases and nursing mothers to increase lactation. The nut is indispensable for people with cancer of the breast, ovaries, esophagus, and Kaposi's sarcoma, as it contains paclitaxel.
Ground nuts diluted with water help:
- for stones in the bladder and bladder;
- with fever;
- with flatulence;
- with hemoptysis.
An excellent remedy for burns is a mixture of nuts and egg whites. Ground hazelnuts with honey are good for rheumatism, goiter and anemia.
Due to their low carbohydrate content, nuts can be consumed by people with diabetes.
To stimulate the development and strengthen the immune system, hazel nuts should be given to children.
Hazelnuts provide invaluable assistance in cooking medicines both in traditional medicine and in folk medicine in the form of infusions, decoctions, ointments, oils. There are about 40 different diseases, where the properties of the nut contribute to prevention and recovery from diseases such as:
- bronchopulmonary diseases;
- diabetes;
- vascular diseases;
- skin diseases;
- dystrophy;
- malaria and many others.
Eating hazelnuts can prevent stroke and heart attack, strengthen the immune system, and speed up healing skin, strengthen the tone of the veins, normalize metabolic processes, increase appetite, improve blood circulation, cleanse the liver, slow down the aging process.
Harm of hazelnuts
Despite all the beneficial properties of hazel, the fruit of this plant can also cause harm.
There are strict contraindications to the use of nuts, both in pure form, and in the composition of medicines. If in case of urolithiasis and kidney stones the nut has positive action, then if you have other kidney and liver diseases, you should avoid taking hazelnuts.
Hazelnuts are quite difficult to digest, so you should not eat nuts if you have a gallbladder disease.
Decoctions and infusions with hazelnuts can raise blood pressure. People with hypertension should avoid taking such medications.
Before starting to take hazel-based products or in their pure form, you should consult your doctor.
Peanut butter
One of useful means Hazelnut is an oil whose properties are 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 identified:
- as an anthelmintic;
- tonic;
- wound healing;
- regenerating;
- anti-inflammatory.
The oil is actively used by cosmetologists and dermatologists, both in pure form and as components of creams, ointments, hair and face care products, and in aromatherapy.
A mixture of oils: hazelnut, sesame, calendula and St. John's wort will help relieve fatigue from your legs. The mixture is prepared in a ratio of 4:2:1:1, respectively.
Thus, it turns out that between the nuts: hazelnut and hazelnut, the difference is small and the main difference is in the cultivation of the plant.
Watch a video of how nuts are harvested in southern Russia
