NATIVE HAZELNUT BUSH
HAZELNUT CATKINS ARE BLOOMINGThursday, 8:00 AM. 31 degrees, wind NE, light at the moment. The sky is leaden, as are the channel waters. The barometer is down, predicting partly cloudy skies, and there are a few snowflakes in the air. It is a “hands in the pockets” day. The native hazel, Corylus americana, grows in our northern woods. The nuts are good to eat but the animals usually get them first. The nut husks do not open readily and they are difficult to process commercially. The European hazelnut, Corylus avelena, has a husk that opens easily and is a major crop in Europe (we love hazelnut-chocolate spread at breakfast). There have been hybrids developed between the two species in an attempt to develop an American commercial hazelnut industry but it has never really caught on. The National Arbor Day Foundation has a major research initiative underway, and I think hazelnuts may be worth considering as a commercial crop in the Bayfield region in the future.
Dee Hendricks' bird feeders came down last night, so the bears are out and about town.
No comments:
Post a Comment