ABOUT U.S. HAZELNUTS

We’re often asked: is it a Filbert or a Hazelnut?

There’s truly no wrong answer. “Filbert” is the correct name for both the tree and nut. The name is of French origin, and filbert trees were likely first introduced into Oregon by early French settlers. Some thought “filbert” was derived from St. Philibert, as August 22 is dedicated to him, corresponding to the earliest ripening date of filberts in England.

“Hazelnut” is the name coined by the English and applied to the native species by early settlers. In 1981, the Oregon Filbert Commission decided to conform to the common standard and began emphasizing “hazelnut.”

Regardless of what name you call it by, this is one nut that’s been revered for centuries. According to a manuscript found in China from the year 2838 B.C., the filbert took its place among the five sacred nourishments God bestowed on human beings. In olden times, the filbert was used as a medicine and a tonic. More than 1,800 years ago, Greek physician Dioscorides emphasized the properties of the filbert:

“It cures chronic coughing if pounded filbert is eaten with honey. Cooked filbert mixed with black pepper cures the cold. If the ointment produced by mashing burnt filbert shells in suet is smeared on the head where hair does not grow due to normal baldness or to some disease, hair will come again.”

Fun Facts

• The hazelnut became Oregon’s official State Nut in 1989.
• About 1,100 farmers in Oregon and Washington grow hazelnuts on approximately 98,000 acres.
• Hazelnut trees can produce until over 100 years of age.
• The hazelnut is unique in that it blooms and pollinates in the middle of winter. Wind carries the pollen from yellow catkins to a tiny red flower, where it stays dormant until June, when the nut begins to form.
• The nuts mature during the summer months, turning from green to shades of hazel nestled in a protective husk, and are harvested in late September or October after they have fallen to the ground.
• In 1858, the first cultured hazelnut tree was planted in Oregon by retired Hudson’s Bay Company employee, Sam Strictland in Scottsburg.
• In 1903, George Dorris of Springfield started the first commercial orchard with more than 200 Barcelona hazelnut trees. Barcelona is the most prominent variety grown in Oregon today. The Dorris Ranch is now a living history filbert farm with thousands of visitors annually.

The Hazelnut Tree

The hazelnut tree is amazing.  While other plants are “sleeping” during the winter months, the hazelnut is busy pollinating. Wind and rain spreads the pollen to tiny red flowers.  Then, the trees take a short break before spring growth begins. In late spring, the nuts begin to form. By mid summer, clusters of green nuts can be seen throughout the orchards.

In late summer, the green nuts turn to the “hazel” color they are known for. In early fall, they separate from the husks and fall to the orchard floor. Growers sweep the nuts into rows and pick them up with a harvester. As they are harvested, the nuts move through a series of air legs to sort out lighter debris. The nuts are quickly shipped to one of many wash and dry operations found throughout the valley. The Pacific Northwest is one of the few places in the world where the nuts are dried very quickly, while many other growing regions depend on the sun. This efficient and consistent drying process helps ensure the wonderful quality of Oregon hazelnuts. Once cleaned, dried and sorted by size, hazelnuts are either sold in the shell or further processed into kernels and other forms.

Hazelnuts and the Environment

Maintaining the long-term viability of the orchard land is a priority for hazelnut growers. Many hazelnut trees have been producing nuts for decades and continue to thrive via responsible management practices. In 2019, the Oregon Hazelnut Stewardship Program was launched to chronicle these practices and better illustrate how hazelnut farmers care for the land, water, air and wildlife and strive to be good neighbors in their communities.

Hazelnut trees benefit the environment in a number of ways:

• Hazelnuts use less water and are drought resistant than annual crops. Massive root systems allow perennial plants to avoid short-term droughts that would adversely affect annual crops.
• After pruning or removing trees, hazelnut farmers will often mulch the downed branches back into the soil. This enhances the organic matter and overall health of the soil.
• If irrigation is needed, drip or trickle irrigation can be used with hazelnuts to greatly increase the efficiency of water use, conserving this vital resource.
• Hazelnuts sequester more carbon when compared to annual crops; the extensive root systems of perennial crops help build and increase organic soil matter, sequestering more carbon from the atmosphere each year.
• Hazelnuts have a much greater period of photosynthetic activity than annual crops. Because of the full-leaf canopy present in hazelnuts from early spring to late fall, there is a much longer period for photosynthesis and subsequent fixation of carbon dioxide. With annual crops, canopy closure doesn’t happen until summer: bare soil does not photosynthesize and fix carbon dioxide.
• Hazelnuts reduce soil erosion. There is no yearly tillage required with hazelnuts. Oxidation of soil organic matter, which occurs during tillage, is eliminated, thereby lessening carbon emissions and helping to build soil organic matter.
• Hazelnuts are classified as a riparian buffer zone species. Hazelnuts are classified by the USDA and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as a riparian buffer zone species, acting as a natural biofilter that protects aquatic environments from excessive sedimentation, polluted surface runoff and erosion.
• Compared to annual crops, hazelnuts provide complete soil cover much longer throughout the year. In addition, dormant vegetation and leaf litter prevents erosion from raindrop splash and wind throughout the winter months.
• Large perennial root systems are active most of the year, allowing little nitrogen leaching. Besides the environmental health benefits of greatly reduced nitrogen leaching, reduced nitrogen loss–and better plant efficiency–means less use of fossil fuels. This translates to reduced carbon emissions.
• Researchers and scientists are routinely exploring biological controls–such as samurai wasps for controlling invasive pests–to use in hazelnuts orchards. These methods help limit the use of chemical applications.