HAZELNUT AND CHESTNUT FALL COLOR

FALL COLOR OF BEAKED HAZELNUT 

FALL COLOR OF AMERICAN CHESTNUT

Monday, 8:45 AM.  50 degrees F, wind N, calm with occasional gusts.  The sky is cloudy and overcast.  The humidity is 81% and the barometer is on the rise, currently at 29.92".  Yesterday morning was rather dismal but it was sunny by afternoon, and I suspect the same will occur today.
   Millions of leaves may be on the ground, but there is still plenty of beautiful and even unusual tree and shrub fall color to be seen in and around Bayfield.
   We have two native hazelnut species in Wisconsin and the Bayfield region, both quite similar except for their  fruits.  Pictured above is the beaked hazelnut, Corylus cornuta.  The other is the American hazelnut, Corylus americana. Both are very valuable to wildlife, and in Canada and Europe are raised commercially for human consumption. There are ongoing attempts to produce hazelnuts commercially in the United States.  Both species have great potential as wildlife and natural landscaping plants.
   As I have written before, the American chestnut, Castanea dentata, virtually extinct in most of its natural range in North America, is present here and there in Bayfield.  It has a very nice fall leaf color, which along with the arrangement of the leaves on the branches, makes them stand out visually  in the landscape.
   I have written quite extensively about both these plants.  Use the blog search engine to read more about them.  I think we have weeks of interesting fall color left.  The tamarack are a just beginning to turn hereabouts and will soon be like burnished gold.