Hazelnut Trees

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mainhaus Sharpsburg, IA(Zone 5a) Apr 27, 2003

I have catkins on my hazelnut trees, that look just like the picture I seen in one of your message boards under corkscrees hazelnut. What are these catkins and will I ever get hazelnuts? I have 4 treess one which is almost 10 years old and have yet to get any hazelnuts. Will I ever?

Post #521093
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Ponditis Lincoln City, OR(Zone 9a) Apr 27, 2003

I have read that hazelnuts need a different variety of hazelnut tree for a pollinator tree. The catkins are the flowers and after flowering the nuts would form on the same area that they came off of.
My guess is that you have four of the same variety of hazelnut and until you get another type you won't have nuts. The corkscrew hazelnut is another hazelnut but it usually doesn't bear many nuts from what I have heard. It might be a pollinator but I would try for a bigger tree.
Good Luck

Post #521141
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DawnG Chardon, OH(Zone 5a) May 15, 2003

Actually the catkins are only the male flowers. They only make pollen. The problem is, you also need female flowers to make fruit. I have a picture of the female flowers I'll try to send after this note. I couldn't get it to work with the writing. Female flowers are extremely small, which is why this isn't my best photo work. I had a hard time focusing. Anyway, the fruit forms where the female flowers are. The female flowers are usually out earlier than the catkins. Although it might be easier if you have more than on variety because some might have pollen earlier than others, it's not really necessary. In the wildflower garden at work we only have two trees, they're from the same parent and they make fruit all the time.

The biggest problem is not every tree produces female flowers every year. It takes a lot of energy to produce fruit and plants under stress can sense if they won't have enough and they don't bloom. (that's why jack-in-the-pulpits change sex from female to male and back) I've seen trees planted in a lot of shade that never form female flowers. The most successful I've seen get a lot of sun.

Does any of this help?

Dawn

Post #530487
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DawnG Chardon, OH(Zone 5a) May 15, 2003

I look for these blooms as the first sign of spring every year. Small, but beautiful.

Thumbnail by DawnG
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