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Turkish filbert catkins Courtesy Cornell Woody Plants Database
Turkish filbert leaves Courtesy Cornell Woody Plants Database
Turkish filbert trees are dioecious and while the fruit-bearing
female trees irregularly produce a nut crop every two or three
years, the small size and thick, hard shell greatly reduces their
commercial value. Their rootstock, however, is valued for graft-
ing use in commercial hazelnut orchards. In late winter, male
trees may produce large, showy buff-colored catkins. Though
young trees may have gray, non-showy stems, as they mature,
the bark may fleck or peel to reveal a somewhat subtle under-
lying orange-brown coloration that may be enjoyed throughout
all seasons of the year.
Turkish filbert does require care to ensure a successful trans-
plant, but once this underutilized specimen is established it
may be counted upon to perform and provide growing benefits
under difficult conditions for years to come.
—Rick Harper, Extension Assistant Professor of Urban &
Community Forestry, UMass Department of Environmental
Conservation
