Hazelnut & Filbert Trees

European hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) — known as filberts in the Pacific Northwest — are among the most productive and low-maintenance nut trees available to home growers. They bear in just 4–5 years (compared to a decade or more for walnuts), tolerate a wide range of soils, and once established produce abundantly with far less intervention than most fruit trees require.

Commercially, hazelnuts are by far the most important nut crop grown in the Pacific Northwest — Oregon produces roughly 99% of the U.S. commercial crop. The same varieties that drive that industry are now available to home growers nationwide, thanks to decades of work by the OSU Hazelnut Breeding Program. Raintree sources the best new blight-resistant cultivars from that program: productive, flavorful, and developed for the disease pressures real growers face.

Hazelnuts are also uniquely ornamental among nut trees. They flower in mid-winter — long before any leaf appears — producing the long, dangling yellow catkins that are one of the most striking sights in a dormant garden. By late summer those flowers have become clusters of ripe, sweet nuts. The trees are attractive in all seasons and can serve double duty as ornamental screening or hedging while producing an edible crop.

The most important decision before planting is selecting two compatible varieties. Hazelnuts are not self-fertile, and not all pairs are compatible — bloom timing and genetic compatibility must both align. Review individual variety descriptions carefully and confirm pollinizer pairs before ordering.

Hazelnuts are wind-pollinated — a key difference from most fruiting plants, which rely on bees. They are also not self-fertile: each variety requires pollen from a different, compatible variety to set nuts. Both genetic compatibility and bloom timing must align for effective pollination.

Raintree carries the best blight-resistant European cultivars from the OSU Hazelnut Breeding Program, plus Rutgers-developed hybrid varieties for eastern and midwestern growers. The varieties below are currently part of the Raintree catalog; specific availability varies seasonally. All listed below are prohibited from shipping to Oregon (an OR Department of Agriculture restriction to protect commercial growers). Hazelnuts are not self-fertile — every variety needs a different compatible pollinizer.

Tree or hedge?

Hazelnuts are naturally multi-stemmed large shrubs or small trees. With regular pruning they can be maintained in two distinct forms — choose based on your space and goals before planting:

When to plant

Hazelnuts can be planted anytime during the dormant season. January and February are ideal months in most climates — this coincides with the bloom period, allowing you to observe the flowering process in the first season. In colder climates, wait until the ground is workable before planting.

How to plant

Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and no deeper than the roots. Backfill with native soil amended with organic matter worked into the surrounding planting area. Do not add fertilizer directly to the planting hole — it can burn new roots. Set the plant at the same depth it was growing previously. Water thoroughly after planting and apply a 2–4 inch mulch layer immediately, keeping it back from the crown.

Place pollinizer varieties within 50 feet of the primary variety, with no solid barriers — buildings, dense hedges, structures — blocking the wind path between them.

Watering

Target approximately 1 inch of water per week over the root zone during the growing season — equivalent to ¾–1 gallon per square foot, or 7–10 gallons weekly for a typical 3-foot planting area. Apply water deeply once or twice per week rather than lightly each day; the goal is consistent moisture at root depth, not a wet surface. The first two growing seasons — especially the first summer — are critical. Do not let young trees dry out during establishment.

In the PNW, established hazelnuts require relatively little supplemental irrigation once well-rooted, but consistent deep watering is essential in the first two seasons and during extended dry periods at any age.

Fertilization

Apply an all-purpose balanced fertilizer or 2–3 inches of well-rotted compost over the root zone from late winter through early June. Do not fertilize after early summer — late-season fertilization encourages soft new growth vulnerable to winter damage and increases disease pressure. A maintained mulch layer builds soil health over time. If the tree is producing a foot or more of new growth annually with healthy foliage, additional fertilizer may not be needed.

Sucker removal

Hazelnuts naturally produce suckers from the base throughout the growing season. For tree form, remove suckers promptly to maintain the desired number of main trunks and direct energy into the canopy. For hedge form, manage suckering selectively to maintain density. Left unchecked, suckers spread the planting outward and reduce nut production on the main framework.

At Raintree's location north of Mount St. Helens, WA, nuts are fully ripe by late August and begin dropping naturally in September. Harvest by gathering fallen nuts from the ground daily — this keeps you ahead of wildlife. Nuts can also be knocked from branches once their husks begin to loosen.

Blue jays begin harvesting filberts the moment nuts reach peak ripeness — often before the grower notices. Nuts dropped by jays are typically empty shells; the jays selectively take the best ones first. Start gathering as soon as you see jay activity in the tree canopy.

After harvest, cure nuts in a single layer in a dry, well-ventilated location for 2–3 weeks before storing. Properly cured hazelnuts keep for several months at room temperature, longer in the refrigerator, and up to one year or more in the freezer.