Zones and places in which hazelnuts grow. Medicinal plants What hazel leaves look like in autumn

Nuts have long been valued by people for their excellent taste and health benefits to the body. Almost all nuts grow in countries with warm climates and are available to us as an expensive overseas delicacy. The exception to this rule is the hazelnut, which grows everywhere in our forests. Its peculiarity is that it has three names at once: hazelnut, hazelnut and hazel.

Hazelnut or hazel is a tall shrub of the hazel genus (Corylus), birch family (Betulaceae), hazel subfamily (Coryloideae).

Hazel (Corylus avellana) has more than twenty species, among which there are not only tall shrubs, but also tree-like representatives.

Almost all species prefer a temperate and subtropical climate, so wild hazelnut plantings are very widespread in countries such as Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, the Far East and China. In Russia it grows in the southern regions and in the middle zone.

Prefers to settle on fertile, slightly moist soils. Doesn't like straight lines sun rays, but at the same time does not tolerate strong shading. On average it reaches a height of 5−7 meters, but individual species capable of growing up to 20 meters. The crown is ovoid, spherical, with a slightly elongated apex. Hazelnuts can be called a long-lived species; some of its representatives are capable of growing for 200 years while regularly producing a bountiful harvest of nuts every year.

Hazel is a dioecious plant, that is, on one bush there are both male and female flowers. Therefore, fruit set occurs due to cross-pollination. It begins to bloom very early, in early or mid-April. In some areas middle zone There is still snow, and the plant itself has not yet had time to cover itself with leaves, but has already produced female flowers in the form of reddish, almost invisible buds and male flowers, which look like large earrings.

The fruits ripen in late summer and early autumn. The nuts are yellowish in color and are in a dense brown shell. They are located singly or in groups of three to five pieces and are covered on top with a leaf wrapper that looks like a green bell.

Nuts that fall to the ground are considered ripe.. Those that continue to hang on the tree are unripe and there is no point in collecting them, much less storing them, as they quickly deteriorate. On the contrary, ripe nuts collected from the ground are stored in a dry, warm place for a year without losing their taste and nutritional properties.

Often curious, ignorant people ask numerous questions with approximately the following content: hazel, hazelnut and hazelnut, what is the difference between them.

The answer is very simple: hazelnut is a cultivated hazelnut obtained as a result of selection various types wild hazelnut. There are more than a hundred species of hazelnuts, which are specially adapted to grow in certain climatic regions. We can say that there is no particular difference between them, because they are the same type of nuts. But it’s not for nothing that they are called differently; nevertheless, there are differences and they relate primarily to such qualities as yield, resistance to disease and drought, the content of useful nutrients and the size of the nuts.

Hazelnuts look like hazelnuts, but have larger nuts that contain more nutrients and beneficial trace elements, and are easier to grow. Therefore, hazelnuts are more suitable for growing in the garden than hazel. At the same time, it is believed that wild hazelnuts are healthier and tastier than their cultivated counterparts, due to the fact that they grow in natural conditions.

The nut received the name “hazel” because of the peculiar shape of the leaves, which with their elongated oval silhouette resemble the outline of the body shape of the bream fish. The upper surface of the leaf blade has a darker color, while the lower part of the leaf has a more delicate light green color. There are descriptions of more than 20 species of wild hazel. The following types are found in our country:

From an economic point of view, the most valuable are cultivated hazelnut species that have common name: hazelnut. Currently, there are more than a hundred different types of hazelnuts, which are grown industrially in many farms in the southern Mediterranean countries, as well as in Japan, China and Korea.

For growing in the garden, hazelnuts are also more preferable than their wild counterparts. It is less capricious, has a more developed root system, which makes it more hardy and viable. It produces much more fruit compared to hazel. Hazelnuts are larger and more nutritious, contain a large amount of nutrients and have a stronger flavor.

Growing in the garden is not particularly difficult. In places where hazelnuts grow, the soil is well fertilized and slightly moist. It loves sunlight and does not tolerate the proximity of other plants. Therefore, within a radius of one to one and a half meters around the bush, you should not plant plants of other species. The best option plant a whole group of three to five individuals at once. This planting promotes better cross-pollination of plants.

Hazelnut propagation can be done by all known methods, such as:

• With the help of layering.
• Offshoots of roots.
• The method of dividing the bush.
• By grafting a cultivated shoot with a bud onto a wild trunk.
• Seeds. This method is the most unproductive and practically never occurs in artificial conditions. Because in this case, you will have to wait at least ten years for the first nut harvest.

Planting is done in early spring or late autumn. In the case of autumn planting, you can already get the first harvest of nuts the next season.

Hazelnuts, like all nuts, are the richest sources of nutrients. Hazelnut kernels contain a large amount of vegetable protein, fatty oils and essential amino acids, as well as vitamins B and E, carotene, trace elements of iron, potassium, magnesium and cobalt.

Nuts are a very high-calorie food, which at the same time is very quickly absorbed by the body. This allows you to quickly saturate the human body with energy to maintain vital functions during heavy physical work. That is why nuts are included in all kinds of nutritional mixtures to maintain the body’s performance in extreme conditions.

Hazelnut fruits can enhance lactation in nursing women, thereby increasing the volume of expressed milk and improving its taste.

Hazelnut kernels contain paclitaxel, which is used in the treatment of cancer, as it can influence the process of division of cancer cells, preventing their further development.

Due to the fact that nuts have virtually no carbohydrates, they are part of the diet for patients diabetes mellitus.

Daily consumption of 100 grams of hazelnuts can:

Hazelnut oil has an extremely high concentration of vitamin E. It also has the same beneficial qualities as the nut itself, only these qualities are more pronounced.

Hazelnut oil is used as:

• Antihelminthic.
• Tonic.
• Wound healing.
• Anti-inflammatory.

In the early stages of pregnancy, nut oil can relieve extremely unpleasant symptoms of early toxicosis.

And it is also widely used in cosmetology and dermatology, both in its pure form and as part of all kinds of nourishing creams, masks and ointments, as facial and hair care products.

Many people love to eat hazelnuts. However, not many people decide to start growing hazel on their plot in open ground- and in vain. Knowing the peculiarities of planting shrubs and following the rules of care, you will regularly receive a harvest of delicious nuts.

Hazel: varieties and varieties

Hazel or hazelnut is usually called a “domesticated” variety of hazelnut. It is distinguished by its rich harvest and the size of its nuts (larger than those of wild varieties). This shrub received its Russian name because of the shape of the leaves. Even in the photo you can see that they are round and wide on the plant, like the body of a bream. Cultivated shrub species reach an average height of 3-4 m, and grow in one place for up to 70 years.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, several varieties of hazel have been developed:

• Academician Yablokov;
• Firstborn;
• Moscow early;
• Sugar;
• Tambov early and others.

Planting shrubs

Since hazel was originally forest plant, she is not used to being alone. It is better to plant several bushes, this will contribute to better pollination. Maintain a distance between seedlings of about 4-6 m. Otherwise, the plants will interfere with each other. A well-lit place, away from direct sunlight, is suitable for hazel. It should be well protected from the wind. Often shrubs are planted along the fence, preferably in the western part of the summer cottage.

The best rooting time is March or November. The most suitable soils for hazel are fertile, non-acidic, and loose. Strictly avoid dry, sandy soil. The depth, width and length of the pits are 0.7-1 m in each direction. Before planting, fill each of them halfway with humus and moisten (each hole will need about a bucket of water). After filling the seedling with soil, lightly compact the soil and water again.

Hazel care

In the first few years, until the bush has grown, use the soil underneath it to plant annual vegetables. You can also sow herbs there, such as cereals. Remove weeds in a timely manner, loosen the soil, but not deeply: the roots of the plant are on the surface. Hazel loves moisture, so don’t skimp on abundant watering, at least once a month.

Do not allow the branches inside the bush to become too thick. When forming a bush, leave from 6 to 10 of the strongest shoots. It is advisable that they be located away from each other. In the future, dry, broken, intertwining branches should be removed. Starting from the age of 20, 2-3 old shoots of hazel are removed annually - this is rejuvenating pruning.

Fertilizing and feeding the plant

When planting, you can add humus (about a bucket), potassium sulfate (about 70 g) and double superphosphate (200 g) to each hole. All components should be thoroughly mixed with the soil. In the fall, feed the hazel with potassium and phosphorus. In the spring, fertilize it with nitrogen - for example, ammonium nitrate (at the rate of 20-30 g per 1 sq. m).

Advice. To ensure that the nuts ripen at approximately the same time, use nitrogen fertilizing in July. It will also have a good effect on the formation of buds for next year's harvest.

Apply organic matter to young plants every three years. For 1 sq. m will need about a bucket. Feed bushes that bear fruit at the same frequency. The composition of the fertilizer for them: compost or manure (3-4 kg), superphosphate (50-60 g), potassium salt (25-30 g). Add all this during the autumn digging of the soil.

Shrub propagation

Advice. When planting seeds, treat the seed with kerosene to protect it from rodents.

Common hazel: diseases and pests

The most common problems with hazel are:

• nut weevil;
• walnut barbel;
• kidney mite, etc.

To recognize these pests on shrubs, first carefully study them in the photo. Having found them, shake them off the branches, having first spread a film underneath, and also dig up the soil. Insecticides, for example, Karbofos, are effective in combating these insects. Bordeaux mixture is sometimes used, which is also used to treat hazel diseases. Among them - powdery mildew, brown spot and others.

If at the end of summer and beginning of autumn you observe a massive shedding of hazelnuts, most likely codling moth caterpillars have settled on the bush. Collect them manually or use chemicals (if there are too many pests). For prevention, in the spring, clean the bark, which is a haven for caterpillars.

Compost leaves in the fall and collect wormy nuts during the summer. These measures will further protect your hazelnuts and give you the opportunity to reap a good harvest, to the delight of yourself and your children.

Growing hazel in a country plot: video

Growing hazel: photo

Since ancient times, Hazel (or Hazel) has been a symbol of fertility, renewal of life and wisdom, strength and justice. Hazel had a magical meaning and protected against the evil eye.

In Siberia, elders believed that on the eve of Trinity, the souls of ancestors visit this world and temporarily inhabit the branches of Hazel.

Knowing about magical properties Hazel, with the help of a forked branch, shamans looked for treasures, water, lost things and even deposits of gold ore.

It was believed that the hazel branch was a conductor of magical powers, so sorcerers made magic wands and staves from them.

names of Hazel

Hazel received its name due to the shape of its leaves, similar to the body of the Bream fish.

The Latin name for common hazel is Corylus avellana. This name comes from the city of Avello in Italy, where this bountiful plant was first cultivated on a large scale.

It is worth noting that Hazel is a wild plant, which is the progenitor of Hazelnut. The word “Hazelnut” itself has Turkish roots.

Where does Hazel grow?

Common hazel grows in mixed, broad-leaved and coniferous forests. It can often be found at the bottom of a ravine and on the edges.

After fires and clearings, shrubs easily and quickly colonize spaces, forming thickets, so in forestry it is considered a weed.

There are about 17 species of wild Hazel, while its cultivated relative Hazelnut has about 200 varieties.

Leshchina's homeland is Europe. In nature, Hazel is found in the Caucasus and the Middle East. The most extensive thickets exist in Norway, beyond the Arctic Circle.

In the mountains Leshchina is found at an altitude of up to two kilometers above sea level.
Hazel, like Hazelnut, prefers fertile and loose soil.

What does Leshchina look like?

Most often, Hazel looks like a shrub up to 5-7 meters high, but there are also large representatives up to 10 meters high. Lushly spreading out many small trunks, the bush attracts bees and other insects in the spring, and all kinds of insects in the fall. protein and birds.

The bark has a light gray or brown tint and a smooth texture. The leaves are large and wide. The fruits have a hard shell and sit in velvet pluses, similar to flowers.

The tree begins to bear fruit at the 7-8th year of its life and can live up to 200 years.

When does Hazel bloom?

Hazel blooms along ravines and on the edges, in hollows and clearings. Yellow and golden caterpillars stretch out in the spring sun and hang from thin branches.

This is what male flowers look like, carrying pollen to the wind. These flowers are a real cure for sleepy bees waking up after the winter cold.

Flowering begins in early spring in March or April depending on the weather and region. Blooming Hazel is a good honey plant.

The fruits ripen in the fall in September and fall to the ground, becoming prey for birds and forest animals.

Medicinal properties of hazel

The fruits of Hazel and Hazelnut contain fats, proteins and carbohydrates. They are very high in calories and are a real salvation for a traveler lost in the thicket of the forest.

It has been proven that hazelnuts are more nutritious than soy and meat. In addition, nuts contain fiber, which helps remove toxins from the body.

Fruits rich in vitamins treat anemia and anemia, strengthen hair and immunity. Nuts mashed with honey will help cope with rheumatism.

The bark, roots and fruits are used in medicine. In ancient times, a decoction of the roots was the main remedy for malaria. The bark has antipyretic and antiseptic effects.

Application of Hazel

Common hazel is not suitable for obtaining nuts. IN modern world forestry for nuts is an ignorant method of obtaining this valuable product. Proper extraction of nuts occurs only in special orchards.

Cream, butter, flour and even coffee surrogate are obtained from the extracted kernel. Everyone knows the widespread use of nuts in the confectionery industry.

Hazelnut oil, which is not inferior in quality to almond oil, is used in making soap. Walnut oil is also the base of many paints and is used in cosmetics and perfumes.

Hazel wood is small, but is characterized by high hardness and low fragility, has a beautiful shade and stains well. Mostly Hazel wood is used for small products.

Contraindications

The large amount of fat contained in nuts is contraindicated for obese people and people with pancreas problems.

In addition, consumption of any nuts should always be in moderation. A day is enough to eat a handful of nuts that fits in the palm of your hand.

Hazel - Interesting facts

By burning the thin branches of Hazel without access to air, artists made coals for drawing.

Hazel has been known in the world for more than 6 thousand years, while archaeological excavations indicate that the ancestors of Hazel existed 50 million years ago.

The main production of truffles is concentrated in European walnut groves.

In Babylon, because of its ability to stimulate brain activity, the common people were prohibited from eating hazelnuts.

The oldest representative of the wild hazel grows in the Crimea and has a bush girth at the roots of 4.7 meters. Hazel's age is approximately 200 years.

Hazelnuts and hazelnuts are the same thing, they differ only in size. Hazelnuts are all nuts of large-fruited varieties of hazel (common hazel and large hazel). Hazelnuts have high nutritional value, so they are grown on large farms in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, and Catalonia.

Hazelnut tree grows in forests and farms

Characteristics of common hazel

Hazelnut (hazel, hazel) belongs to the Hazel genus of the Birch family. This is a deciduous plant, a shrub. Hazel usually grows on the edges of deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. What does common hazel look like:

1. The hazel bush reaches five meters in height.
2. The crown has a shape similar to an egg.
3. The bark of the trunk is light brown, smooth, the bark of the branches is covered with light fluff.
4. The leaves are similar to birch, round or ovoid with a pointed tip. The leaf color is dark green.
5. The fruits are large nuts in a strong shell. The nuts are surrounded on the outside by leafy shoots.

For forestry, hazel is a weed. It quickly reproduces by vegetative means, forming root shoots, and occupies the entire forest clearing area.

For food industry hazelnuts are extremely valuable. That is why it was domesticated and began to be grown on farms. Growing hazel is easy. You need soil rich in minerals (chernozem is excellent), a moderate amount of moisture, and a mild climate. There is virtually no need to care for hazelnuts.

Hazel usually takes the form of a bush

How and when does hazel bloom?

Hazel leaves in the southern regions bloom in last days March, in the northern regions the crown turns green in April - early May. Hazelnuts bloom in early March before the leaf buds open.

How does hazel bloom? The plant has male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers. The stamens are hidden in catkins, like those of a birch tree. 3–5 earrings bloom from one bud. Under normal conditions they reach 10 cm in length.

Female flowers consist of a pistil and an underdeveloped perianth and have the appearance of a bud. A bright red fluff of stigmas can be seen from the buds. The larger the fluff, the more flowers are hidden in the bud. Hazel is pollinated by the wind. Catkins begin to release pollen in April, a process that lasts about two weeks. Pistil stigmas collect pollen from their plant or from neighbors.

Male hazel inflorescences

Characteristics of hazel fruits

The fruits of common hazel are hazelnuts, almost spherical nuts of light brown color. Compared to other types of hazel, they are large in size, and hazelnuts bear fruit annually. Plants grown in cultivation bear fruit for the first time in the third year of life (after seed germination).

Hazelnuts are one of the most expensive and valuable species nut This is due to its unique chemical composition. Hazelnuts contain all the substances a person needs. The nutritional value of nuts, the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, is 98%. To fully cover energy needs, a person only needs to eat 300 grams of hazelnuts per day. Nuts are also rich in the following beneficial substances:

1. Vitamins - vitamin A (retinol), C (ascorbic acid), E (tocopherol), group B (thiamine, riboflavin, choline, pantothenic acid, choline, pyridoxine).
2. Macroelements – calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus.
3. Microelements – iron, zinc, manganese, copper, selenium.
4. Unsaturated fatty acids.
5. Polysaccharides – starch, cellulose.
6. Amino acids.

Hazelnuts are easily digested and absorbed, so the body receives maximum benefits.

Hazelnuts are extremely nutritious

Applications of hazelnuts

Thanks to its high yield, unique nutritional value Due to their excellent taste, hazelnuts are widely used in the food industry, especially in the confectionery industry. What is made from hazelnuts:

• oil;
• hazelnut flour;
• hazelnut paste.

Flour and paste are added to curd, cheese spreads, ice cream, sweets, and sauces. Whole roasted peanuts are added to chocolate bars and candies.

The quality of hazelnuts is inconsistent; over time, they lose moisture and some nutrients, and may become bitter. Therefore, a distinction is made between first grade (new harvest) and second grade (old harvest) hazelnuts. The most delicious and healthy products are obtained from young nuts.

Hazelnuts are especially valued in making desserts

Why is it worth growing hazel?

You can get a rich hazelnut harvest from your own garden. Even a novice gardener can cope with growing hazel. Advantages of growing hazel on a private farm:

1. Endurance, unpretentiousness. The plant adapts well to external conditions and does not require painstaking care. It is important to immediately provide hazel with healthy growth conditions (fertile soil, diffused lighting, moderate humidity).
2. High yield. Hazel brings rich harvests every year. From one bush you can collect about 7 kg of hazelnuts.
3. Long shelf life of nuts. At the right conditions preserves the harvest beneficial properties and taste for 1.5–2 years.
4. High price of nuts. If you have planted a lot of bushes, you can sell the nuts to confectionery factories or wholesale centers.
5. The hazel bushes are very beautiful; the hazel tree on the site looks unusual.

Hazel bushes are usually planted in rows. The row spacing can be used to grow other garden plants.

Hazelnuts produce a good harvest and store well

Varieties of cultivated hazel

Today there are several varieties of hazel that are grown by gardeners. They are different appearance, productivity characteristics and have some care features. The most commonly grown hazelnut varieties are:

• Barcelona hazelnuts;
• Cosford;
• Gallic;
• Warsaw red.

Cosford hazelnuts were developed in England, while Gallic hazelnuts are a German variety. The origin of the Barcelona and Warsaw varieties is clear from the names. Plants different varieties have different external characteristics. You can choose a variety based on personal preferences.

Barcelona hazel bushes have powerful growth and form a wide crown. The main advantage of the variety is frost resistance. Hazel will be able to preserve buds and flowers after spring frosts. The plant has large leaves, the blade is dark green on top and lighter below. The variety begins to bloom in mid-April. Fruiting begins early. The variety has increased productivity. Hazel fruits are very large, have different shapes (most often flattened). When the nuts ripen, the surrounding shell bursts, releasing them.

Nut kernels have amazing taste qualities. They are juicy and sweetish. Hazel has one drawback: it is susceptible to diseases, especially moniliasis.

Barcelona hazelnuts

Main characteristics of the Cosford variety:

1. Great vigor, large bushes with a dense crown.
2. Average frost resistance.
3. The leaves bloom dark green and begin to turn red in the fall.
4. The flowering period is early (early April).
5. The nuts are large, round and flattened. The shell is thin and turns reddish-brown when ripe.
6. The nut kernels completely occupy the shell and are covered with a fibrous film. The nuts taste juicy and sweet.
7. Early fruiting.
8. High yield.
9. The fruit ripening period is the end of September.

Cosford grows in warm regions. It is important to provide plants with protection from the wind. The variety acts as a pollinator for other varieties (Gallic, Nottingham hazelnuts, etc.). Cosford is characterized by self-pollination.

Cosford hazelnuts produce large nuts

Hazel bushes of the Gallic variety have a crown with medium leaf density. The average plant height is 5.5 meters. Hazelnut leaves are dark green in color and covered with rough hair. In spring, a large number of catkins are formed, they bloom in clusters of 6-7 pieces. The standard flowering period is mid-April. The fruits are shaped like a cone and have large size, easily fall out of the fruit shell. The kernels are enclosed in a thick shiny shell. They are dense and moderately sweet in taste.

Gallic hazelnut - late-ripening variety

Gallic hazelnuts ripen later than their counterparts - in early October. Harvest ahead of schedule it is forbidden.

The variety produces rich harvests, but is very demanding on maintenance conditions. Regular application of organic fertilizers is required. It is best to grow hazelnuts on elevated terrain. The soil should not be excessively wet.

The variety is not self-pollinating. It is pollinated by other hazel species.

Warsaw red hazelnuts

Warsaw red belongs to the decorative varieties of hazel. The crown has a spherical shape. The leaves of the plant are red, turning green in summer. The fruits are large in size. The ripening period is the second half of September. The yield of the variety is less than that of the Gallic hazelnut. The flowers are pollinated by other hazel trees.

Syn.: hazel.

Woody, deciduous, multi-stemmed, tall shrub (2-6 m), in some conditions it can grow into a small tree (10 m in height) with an umbrella-shaped crown, lives up to 100 years. It has long been cultivated as a valuable food (nuts) and ornamental plant. Has useful healing properties: tonic, astringent, immunostimulating, disinfectant, lactic, carminative.

Ask the experts a question

In medicine

In scientific medicine, hazel preparations have not yet received widespread use. In the 20th century, among the drugs was the L2 Lesovaya liquid, intended for the treatment of eczema, neurodermatitis, psoriasis, etc. It was discontinued due to its insignificant therapeutic effect. Currently, an infusion of hazel bark is recommended for dilated veins, periphlebitis, capillary hemorrhages, a decoction of the leaves - for prostate hypertrophy, nut oil - to strengthen the stomach, fruits - as a milk extractor for nursing women and a general tonic during and after a long illness . Hazel nut kernels are the most valuable medicine for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, heart diseases vascular system, anemia, etc.

Contraindications and side effects

There were no significant side effects associated with the use of hazel. The main contraindication is individual intolerance. But hypertensive patients should take into account that excessive consumption of infusion from hazel leaves and bark increases blood pressure, and the nucleoli can provoke an exacerbation of neurodermatitis and other skin diseases. If you have psoriasis, it is not recommended to eat nuts, as the disease may worsen. In addition, hazel pollen is an allergen, so people with allergies should stay away from this plant.

On the farm

In the economy, hazel has a variety of uses and is of no small industrial importance. Common hazel has been used and cultivated since ancient times as a valuable nut-bearing plant. Hazel nuts have nutritional value, containing large amounts of fats (65%), proteins, sugar, etc. biologically. active substances. High-quality oil is extracted from them, widely used in the confectionery, food, medical, paint and varnish, and perfume industries. Halva and other products are prepared from the cake. Dry nuts are used to make flour, and young ones are used to make milk. It is obtained from seeds - one of the best vegetable oils. Sawdust is used to clarify vinegar and clarify cloudy wines. The bark is suitable for tanning leather. Hazel wood is hard but flexible and is widely used in agricultural engineering and construction, as well as in carpentry, furniture and turning. Hazel charcoal is used to make gunpowder and is the best among drafting coals. Young hazel branches are used to make handles for gardening tools (shovels, rakes), fishing rods, and baskets are woven from thin twigs. Hazel is a valuable shrub species for shelterbelt forests, as well as for securing slopes, ravines and slopes. The plant is an excellent honey plant; in the spring it produces a large amount of high-quality pollen, which beekeepers harvest for winter feeding of bees.

Recently, hazel has been valued in gardening due to its large, dense green foliage, which turns into bright yellow and red tones with the arrival of autumn. Therefore, it is planted as an ornamental rather spectacular shrub in a garden plot, in a square or park within its distribution area.

Classification

Common hazel, or hazel (lat. Corylus avellana L.) is the most famous species in Russia of the genus Hazel (lat. Corylus) of the subfamily Hazel (lat. Coryloideae) of the birch family (lat. Betulaceae). The hazel genus stands apart among the birch trees due to its great originality, therefore it is sometimes classified as an independent hazel family (lat. Corylaceae). Hazel is the only zoochorous (synzoochorous) species among the birch trees. The hazel genus is small, according to various sources it includes 15-20 species, among which shrubs predominate, the bulk of which live in East Asia.

Botanical description

Tall (2-6 m) deciduous multi-stemmed shrub, in some conditions a small tree reaching up to 10 m in height. Root system powerful, superficial. The branches are covered with light lentils. The leaves are simple with a short petiole (7-20 mm long), alternate, round-oval (8-12 cm wide), entire, doubly serrated at the edges with sharp teeth. Tops leaf blade pointed, bases narrowly heart-shaped, more or less symmetrical. The venation is pinnate. Young shoots, petioles and leaf veins are densely pubescent with simple and glandular capitate trichomes (hairs). The flowers are small, inconspicuous, dioecious, without perianth, or it is reduced (female). Male (staminate) flowers are collected in drooping long catkins, female (pistillate) flowers are short, erect, naked, cone-shaped or hanging in capitate semi-umbrellas, from which the crimson stigmas of the pistils are visible. Male dichasias are single-flowered, females are two-flowered. The fruit is a woody nut (1-1.5 cm in diameter) from light to dark brown, half surrounded by a light green, velvety pubescent leaf-like involucre. Flowering time is April-May. The plant usually blooms before the leaves bloom, and bright yellow pollen is produced in very large quantities. Fruiting in August – September.

Spreading

Common hazel is the main undergrowth species, a typical representative of oak, broad-leaved, coniferous-deciduous and high-mountain coniferous forests of Europe, the Caucasus and Asia Minor. Grows massively in the south and central zone of European Russia. The distribution area of ​​common hazel (hazel) in the European part of Russia reaches the Urals. In the warm post-glacial period (7-10 thousand years ago), hazel reached much further to the north and east than it does now. It also grows in deciduous forests of the Far East. Sometimes it forms pure bush stands and can be a pioneer in the overgrowth of cleared areas and fires. Shade-tolerant, but demanding on the soil. Prefers fresh, rich soils of moderate to high humidity for growth. Hazel itself enriches the soil with organic and mineral substances, as it produces rich leaf litter. Introduced into culture as fruit plant, many varieties have now been obtained (for example, hazelnuts, Byzantine or Constantinople nuts, etc.). For industrial purposes they are bred for large areas Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (hazel orchards) and in some southern regions of the European part of Russia, as well as in many countries of the world (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Central Asia, Türkiye, Italy, Spain, in the south of France, etc.). Today, thanks to the efforts of breeders, hazel can be found almost anywhere on the planet.

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

IN medicinal purposes Almost the entire plant is used (roots, leaves, bark and fruits). Young leaves are harvested during flowering in May, and the bark is carefully removed from the branches with a knife in early spring or autumn. Dry under a canopy in the air, in the attic or in a well-ventilated area. Nuts are harvested in the fall when they are fully ripe. Dry in the sun for 2 weeks, spread out in a thin layer, or in a dryer at a temperature of 60-70°C, stirring occasionally. Leaves and fruits are stored for 1 year, bark - 2 years.

Chemical composition

Hazel fruits (nuts) contain a huge amount of essential, valuable and beneficial substances, such as fats - 62-65%, proteins - 16-17%, sugars - 3.5%, carbohydrates - 7%, vitamins C, E, D, minerals substances -2% (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium), trace elements and other biologically active substances. Fruit oil contains lipotropic substances (meteonine, choline, lecithin) and unsaturated fatty acids. The bark contains essential oil, phlobaphenes, lignoceryl alcohol, betulin, tannins (tannins more than 8%) and dyes. The leaves contain essential oil, ascorbic and palmitic acid, and the glycoside myricitroside.

Pharmacological properties

The plant has astringent, antidysentery, antipyretic, vasodilator, laxative, antiseptic, stimulating and general strengthening effects on the human body. Nuts have an immunostimulating, lactic (promote milk production in lactating women) effect; they are useful for people with diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis, and are an effective means of stimulating intestinal motor function.

Use in folk medicine

IN folk medicine Almost the entire plant is used for medicinal purposes: fruits (nuts), leaves, young bark of shoots, plus, roots. Nuts are used as a lactic and carminative; they dissolve kidney stones. Hazel fruits are also used for epilepsy, cholelithiasis, tumors and ascariasis. From crushed nut kernels, healing cream is made, rich in vitamins, microelements and nutrients, which help restore strength after a long illness, strengthen hair, prevent brittleness and hair loss, and treat anemia and urolithiasis. Hazel nuts ground with water are used for hemoptysis, pulmonary diseases, bronchitis, fever, kidney stones, and with honey for anemia and rheumatism. Hazel nuts are also recommended for people who have undergone major surgery and severe infectious disease or simply for children, to strengthen their condition and stimulate development. Walnut shell extract is used to treat prostatitis and colitis, and plus is used as an astringent and disinfectant for diarrhea. A decoction of hazel leaves is used for adenoma and hypertrophy of the prostate gland, as well as diseases of the thyroid gland, liver and intestinal diseases, flatulence, vitamin deficiency, rickets and anemia. In addition, the leaves are included in preparations used for various metabolic disorders. Spring bark is used for malaria, nut oil is used as an anthelmintic and also for the treatment of epilepsy. For hair loss, it is recommended to rub the oil into the scalp, and crushed nut kernels and mixed with egg white are used for burns. Pollen in folk medicine is used as a general tonic and for urinary incontinence (in combination with honey and a decoction of St. John's wort or agrimony). A decoction of the bark is used for varicose veins, for the treatment of phlebitis, leg ulcers and capillary hemorrhages, and for malaria.

Historical background

The homeland of hazel is Greece, but in the works of some ancient Greek philosophers there is a mention that it was brought to Greece from Syria. It is also known that hazel was widespread in the Caucasus and in the middle part of modern Turkey (Asia Minor), later from there it was brought to the south of Europe and further north, and in the 17-18 centuries. hazel was also brought to America.

IN Ancient Rome and Greece, hazel was considered a sacred plant, a symbol of life and immortality, and they also believed that a branch of a walnut tree could indicate where treasures were buried, put out a fire, stop a flood, protect against many diseases, etc.

The specific name of hazel - "avellana" - was borrowed from the Romans and comes from the name of the city of Avellino, which was a center of culture and trade. hazelnuts in Ancient Rome.

Literature

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3. Biological encyclopedic dictionary (edited by M.S. Gilyarov). M. 1986. 820 p.

4. Gubanov, I. A. et al. 435. Corylus avellana L. - Common hazel, or Hazel, Hazelnut // Illustrated guide to plants of Central Russia V 3 T. M.: Scientific T. ed. KMK, Institute of Technology. research, 2003.T. 2. Angiosperms (dicots: dioecytes). P. 33.

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8. Kyosev P.A. Medicinal plants: the most complete reference book

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10. Rubtsov L.I. Trees and shrubs in landscape architecture. Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 1977.

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12. Shantser I.A. Plants of the central zone of European Russia. 2007.469 p.