From the Greek korylos and the Latin corylus or corulus, “hazel, “ and a Latin name for the hazelnut or filbert. OR from the Greek korylos, or korys, “helmet,” referring to the husk on the nut
Species
avellana
From Avella Veccia (southern Italy) or Avellino (city east of Naples where this plant was much cultivated and called nux Avellana by the Romans)
Hazelnuts, the fruits of Corylus avellana, or European hazelnut, are popular plain, or ground as a
paste, or as a flavoring in chocolate and coffee. Hazelnuts have long been cultivated for their nutritious nuts.
The ‘Contorta’ variant has fantastically contorted branches and twisted leaves. Apparently a natural
variety, it was first discovered in Great Britain during the mid-1800s, by Victorian gardener Canon Ellacombe.
Scottish singer and comedian Sir Henry Lauder (1870-1950) adopted a branch from this shrub
as his comically twisted cromach (walking stick), hence the common name.
Sir Henry Lauder, in full Highland regalia—kilt, sporran, tam o' shanter, and twisted walking stick.
Plants: These deciduous shrubs reach a maximum height of 8-10′ (2.4-3 m), and have a rounded appearance.
Leaves: Hairy, alternate,
elliptic to ovate, and doubly serrate. Leaves are 2-4″ (5-10 cm) ×
1½-3″ (3.8-7.6 cm) in size.
I’ve never seen a specimen whose leaves weren’t wrinkled and bent, as if in
sympathy for the branches.
Flowers: Male flowers, catkins, are yellowish-brown and
2-3″ (5-7.6 cm) long. Female
flowers are very small, with red stigmas, appearing just above the catkins. Flowers appear from March to April.
Fruits: Hazelnuts are embedded in a hard shell that is, in
turn, surrounded by a leafy outer husk that tapers to a fairly sharp tip. The nuts appear from August to September.
Edibility: Hazelnuts have been cultivated for centuries.