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American Hazelnut

Corylus americana

Found in rocky woodlands, moist to rich forests and thickets. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

55
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
9–12 feet
Spread
8–13 feet
Light
Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 10.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
February to April
Fruiting season
September to October

Recorded in 17 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Forest edges and thickets

Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields
Named place / source context. Shown: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee; which part is not recorded, a neighboring state.Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields, Richard Schlecht, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 127 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

79CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Corylus

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Acleris chalybeanaLesser Maple Leafroller Moth
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
  • Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
  • Acronicta incretaSouthern Oak Dagger, Eclipsed Oak Dagger, Small Oak Dagger
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Agonopterix argillaceaClay-Colored Agonopterix
  • Amorpha juglandisWalnut Sphinx
Show all 79
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Ancylis burgessianaOak Leafroller
  • Anisota senatoriaOrange-Tipped Oakworm Moth, Orangestriped Oakworm
  • Anisota stigmaSpiny Oakworm Moth, Stigma Moth
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
  • Argyrotaenia juglandanaHickory Leafroller
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Baileya ophthalmicaEyed Baileya
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Chytolita morbidalisMorbid Owlet
  • Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
  • Clostera inclusaAngle-Lined Prominent, Poplar Tent Maker, Poplar Leaf-Tier
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Cosmia calamiAmerican Dun-Bar
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Cydia latiferreanaFilbertworm
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
  • Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
  • Gesta juvenalisJuvenal's Duskywing
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
  • Hypena palpariaMottled Bomolocha, Variegated Snout
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
  • Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Metanema inatomariaPale Metanema
  • Morrisonia evictaBicolored Woodgrain
  • Morrisonia latexFluid Arches, Fluid Mamestra
  • Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
  • Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
  • Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthodes majusculaRustic Quaker, Rustic Groundcat
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
  • Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
  • Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
  • Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
  • Phlogophora periculosaBrown Angle Shades
  • Plagodis phlogosariaStraight-Lined Plagodis
  • Plagodis pulverariaAmerican Barred Umber, Barred Umber
  • Pococera aplastellaAspen Webworm Moth
  • Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
  • Pseudothyatira cymatophoroidesTufted Thyatirid
  • Psilocorsis reflexellaDotted Leaftier Moth
  • Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Synanthedon scitulaDogwood Borer, Pecan Borer
  • Xystopeplus rufagoRed-Winged Sallow
  • Zale minereaColorful Zale
  • Zale phaeocapnaHazel Zale
  • Zanclognatha cruralisEarly Zanclognatha, Early Fan-Foot
  • Acleris cervinana
  • Anacampsis tristrigella
  • Dichomeris ventrellus
  • Menesta tortriciformella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Corylus

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Betulaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Green, red or white
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
September
Fruit ends
October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

American Filbert

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources