Scientific Name
Corylus colurna
Native to Turkey and surrounding countries, this tree (also called Turkish hazel) is a relatively new addition to our urban forests. Although it lacks much fall foliage color, it offers several attractive features: flaky, scaly bark, a pleasing symmetrical pyramidal shape, and dangling male catkins in late winter and early spring (the female flowers are inconspicuous). The foliage is clean, scorch-resistant, and softly hairy on both surfaces.
The tree also produces edible nuts, usually three or more in each bristly husk. However, they have much thicker shells and less nutmeat than the commercial hazelnuts grown on a sister species, Corylus avellana. Turkish filbert is the largest tree of the filbert genus and can typically mature to 80 feet or more in height. These trees have not been planted in our region long enough to know how tall they may grow here; the current Colorado champions have reached about 50 feet so far.
Turkish filbert takes a few years to become established after transplanting, but afterward it is valued for its tolerance of heat, drought and pollution. Because it is also rarely troubled by any disease or pests, it is becoming more common as an urban forest tree. Its other principal use is as a grafting rootstock for the smaller commercial hazelnut-producing trees, since it does not sucker.