American Hazelnut

Corylus americana

American hazelnut is a keystone native shrub that does something remarkable in the winter garden: long before any other plant thinks about spring, the male catkins start elongating in February, releasing clouds of golden pollen that feed the first native bees of the season. The female flowers are tiny and bright red, easy to miss unless you're watching for them. By September, the plants are heavy with clusters of edible hazelnuts tucked inside papery husks. It forms a large, multi-stemmed shrub or thicket that naturalizes across woodland edges, fence lines, and rough areas. Squirrels, deer, turkeys, and dozens of bird species eat the nuts. it's one of the most wildlife-productive woody plants per acre in the mid-Atlantic.