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Corylus maxima - Mill.

Common Name Filbert, Giant filbert
Family Betulaceae
USDA hardiness 4-8
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Woods, hedges and ravines[100].
Range S. Europe to W. Asia.
Edibility Rating    (5 of 5)
Other Uses    (5 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Corylus maxima Filbert, Giant filbert


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hasel_fg01.jpg
Corylus maxima Filbert, Giant filbert

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of shrub
Corylus maxima is a deciduous Shrub growing to 6 m (19ft) by 5 m (16ft).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

C. tubulosa.

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Hedge;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Oil  Oil  Seed
Edible Uses: Milk  Oil  Oil

Seed - raw or cooked[22, 34, 46, 105]. It is rich in oil. Large and well flavoured, it can be eaten raw, cooked in cakes, pies, breads etc or used to make a plant milk[183]. The seed ripens in mid to late autumn and will probably need to be protected from squirrels[K]. When kept in a cool place, and not shelled, the seed should store for at least 12 months[K]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Basketry  Charcoal  Hedge  Hedge  Oil  Oil  Wood

The seed contains up to 65% of a non-drying oil, used in paints, cosmetics etc[13, 46, 57, 132]. The whole seed can be used to polish and oil wood[6]. Very easy and effective[K]. Plants can be grown as a tall hedge[29]. They need to be left untrimmed or only lightly trimmed if seed is required. Wood - soft, easy to split, not very durable, beautifully veined. Used for inlay work, small items of furniture, hurdles, wattles, basketry, pea sticks etc[7, 13, 23, 46, 61, 63, 66, 125]. The twigs are used as dowsing rods by water diviners[11]. The wood also yields a good quality charcoal, used by artists[63, 101].

Special Uses

Carbon Farming  Food Forest  Hedge  Hedge

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Management: Coppice  Management: Standard  Regional Crop  Staple Crop: Protein-oil

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils, but is in general more productive of seeds when grown on soils of moderate fertility[11, 200]. It does less well in rich heavy soils or poor ones[11, 63]. Does well in a loamy soil[11]. Very suitable for an alkaline soil[11], but it dislikes very acid soils[17]. Plants are fairly wind tolerant[1, 11]. A very hardy plant but the male flowers can be damaged by heavy frosts at flowering time[200]. The filbert is often cultivated for its edible seeds[50], there are many named varieties[63]. It has often been hybridized with C. avellana in breeding programmes[11]. Plants are self-fertile but a more certain crop is obtained if more than one cultivar is grown[200]. The main difference between cob nuts and filberts is that the husk of a filbert is longer than the seed and often completely encloses it, whilst the husk on a cob nut is shorter than the seed[200]. Squirrels are a major pest of this plant, often decimating the crop of nuts[200]. Members of this genus bear transplanting well and can be easily moved even when relatively large[11].

Carbon Farming

  • Management: Coppice  Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
  • Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
  • Regional Crop  These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
  • Staple Crop: Protein-oil  (16+ percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Annuals include soybeans, peanuts, sunflower seeds. Perennials include seeds, beans, nuts, and fruits such as almond, Brazil nut, pistachio, walnut, hazel, and safou.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is harvested in autumn in a cold frame[164]. Germinates in late winter or spring. Stored seed should be pre-soaked in warm water for 48 hours and then given 2 weeks warm followed by 3 - 4 months cold stratification[164]. Germinates in 1 - 6 months at 20°c[164]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame or sheltered place outdoors for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer[K]. Layering in autumn. Easy, it takes about 6 months[78, 200]. Division of suckers in early spring. Very easy, they can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation (Dagestan) EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russian Federation (Baškortostan, Respublika, Cuvašskaja Respublika, Karelia (south), Marij Èl, Respublika, Mordovija, Respublika, Tatarstan, Udmurtia, Belgorod, Bryansk, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Kalužskaja oblast, Kirov (south), Kursk, Leningradskaja oblast, Lipeckaja oblast, Moscow, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novgorod, Orel, Penza, Perm, Ryazan, Samara, Saratov, Smolensk, Tambov, Tula, Tver, Vladimir, Voronezh, Yaroslavl), Ukraine (incl. Krym), Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, France (Corse), Portugal

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Corylus americanaAmerican HazelTree3.0 4-8  LMHSNM312
Corylus avellanaCommon Hazel, Common filbert, European Filbert, Harry Lauder's Walking Stick, Corkscrew Hazel, HazelTree6.0 4-8 MLMHSNM525
Corylus avellana pontica Tree0.0 -  LMHSNM403
Corylus chinensisChinese HazelTree24.0 5-9  LMHSNM20 
Corylus colurnaTurkish Hazel, Chinese hazelnut, Turkish Filbert, Turkish HazelTree20.0 4-7 SLMHSNM313
Corylus cornutaBeaked Hazel, California hazelnut, Turkish Filbert, Turkish HazelShrub3.0 4-7  LMHSNM313
Corylus cornuta californicaCalifornia HazelShrub8.0 4-8  LMHSNM304
Corylus fargesii Tree15.0 -  LMHSNM20 
Corylus feroxHimalayan Hazel, Tibetan hazelnutTree10.0 7-10  LMHSNM202
Corylus heterophyllaSiberian FilbertTree7.0 4-8  LMHSNM314
Corylus hybrids & neohybridsHybrid & Neohybrids, Hazel, FilbertShrub25.0 4-9 MLMHSNM525
Corylus jacquemontiiIndian Tree HazelTree25.0 6-9  LMHSNM30 
Corylus sieboldianaJapanese Hazel, Manchurian hazelShrub5.0 5-9  LMHSNM301
Corylus sieboldiana mandschuricaHairy hazel, Japanese hazelnut,Shrub4.5 5-9  LMHSNM301
Corylus tibetica Tree15.0 6-9  LMHSNM20 
Corylus x colurnoidesTrazelTree15.0 0-0  LMHSNM300
Corylus x vilmoriniiChinese TrazelTree25.0 4-8  LMHSNM20 

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

Mill.

Botanical References

11100200

Links / References

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