Corylus avellana / Nocciolo comune

Origin: Europe, West Asia, North Africa.

Botanical characteristics: It is a large deciduous fast-growing shrub with an erect habit and with branches from the base. it grows up to 4-6 mt high but it can reach greater heights when it has the shape of a tree. It is a monoecious plant with male and female flowers on the same plant. It blooms in February. Male flowers consist of showy long catkins that release large amounts of yellow pollen, whereas the female inflorescences are composed of unobtrusive tufts of red styles. Fruits are nuts and ripen in October. Leaves are round-ovate, with acute apex, doubly serrated margins and heart-shaped base. They are light green and then yellow in autumn.

Agronomic and environmental characteristics: It is present throughout the territory in the undergrowth. It is often cultivated. It prefers heavy clayish soils but adapts to all soils, to dry, poor and calcareous ones as well.

Use: It is cultivated for its fruits, its ornamental flowering and as a plant for hedges, ornamental flowering. It is interesting choice for both rustic hedges in rural areas and mixed hedges, groups and as single plant in gardens. It is suitable for the renovation uncultivated areas, ruins, hillsides, road embankments and riverbanks.