hazel

GROW YOUR OWN: HAZEL (From Grocery Store Hazelnuts)

Grocery Store Garden · Grow Your Own section

Hazel is one of the easiest woody plants to grow from seed and one of the slowest to reveal its intentions. A hazelnut is a complete blueprint for a thicket: roots, stems, catkins, wildlife and eventually nuts. But growing Hazel from grocery store nuts is not the same as planting a grafted nursery shrub. It’s wilder, slower and more variable. This page covers everything you need to know.

Can you grow Hazel from grocery store nuts?

Yes, if the nuts are raw, whole and not roasted.

Hazelnuts that can grow must be:

  • raw
  • unroasted
  • unsalted
  • uncracked
  • ideally still in the shell

Most grocery store hazelnuts are:

  • shelled
  • roasted
  • blanched
  • salted
  • or heat‑treated

These will not grow.

But if you can find:

  • raw hazelnuts in the shell
  • raw hazelnuts from a specialty store
  • raw hazelnuts from a farmer’s market
  • raw hazelnuts sold for baking

…those can absolutely sprout.

If it’s roasted, it’s dead. If it’s raw and in the shell, it might live.

How to test if a hazelnut is viable

A simple float test works:

  1. Place nuts in a bowl of water.
  2. Wait 10–15 minutes.
  3. Sinkers = viable.
  4. Floaters = usually empty or damaged.

This is not perfect but it’s a good first filter.

Hazel needs winter: cold stratification

Hazelnuts need a cold period to wake up.

How to stratify hazelnuts:

  1. Place viable nuts in damp sand, peat or a damp paper towel.
  2. Seal in a labeled bag or container.
  3. Refrigerate for 3–4 months.
  4. Check monthly for mold or early sprouting.

Hazel is patient and will sprout when it’s ready.

Planting and early growth

After stratification:

  1. Plant each nut 1–2 inches deep in a pot or directly outdoors.
  2. Keep soil moist but not soggy.
  3. Expect sprouts in 4–12 weeks.
  4. Protect young seedlings from squirrels (they will dig them up instantly).

Hazel seedlings look like:

  • a single stem
  • roundish leaves
  • then the classic serrated hazel leaf shape

Growth is slow the first year. Hazel invests in roots before height.

Spacing: Hazel is a thicket, not a tree

Hazel is not a single‑trunk tree. It is a multi‑stemmed shrub that naturally forms:

  • clumps
  • colonies
  • thickets
  • living fences

A mature hazel can reach:

  • 8–15 feet tall
  • 10–20 feet wide
  • and will sucker (send up new stems from the base)

Recommended spacing:

  • 10–15 feet between plants if you want individual shrubs
  • 6–8 feet if you want a hedge or thicket
  • 3–5 feet if you want a dense wildlife screen

Hazel will fill the space you give it.

Pollination: Hazel is wind‑pollinated (and needs partners)

Hazel is not pollinated by bees. It is pollinated by wind.

This means:

  • pollen must blow from one shrub to another
  • you need at least two genetically different hazels
  • seed‑grown hazels are genetically unique (good!)
  • two seed‑grown hazels will pollinate each other
  • catkins (male flowers) release pollen in late winter
  • tiny red female flowers catch it

Hazel is self‑incompatible. It cannot pollinate itself.

So:

Two hazels grown from nuts will pollinate each other as long as they bloom at the same time.

Most do.

How long until Hazel produces nuts?

Hazel is slower than people expect.

  • Year 1–2: seedling
  • Year 3–5: shrub with multiple stems
  • Year 4–7: first catkins and flowers
  • Year 6–10: first real nut crop
  • Year 10+: reliable harvests

Seed‑grown hazels may produce:

  • small nuts
  • large nuts
  • thick shells
  • thin shells
  • excellent flavor
  • mediocre flavor

It’s a genetic lottery. But the shrub itself is always beautiful.

Wildlife: Hazel is a magnet for creatures

Hazel is one of the most wildlife‑friendly shrubs you can grow.

Expect:

Birds

  • chickadees
  • nuthatches
  • woodpeckers
  • jays
  • goldfinches (yes!)
  • sparrows

They come for:

  • catkins
  • insects
  • shelter
  • nuts (if they can crack them)

Mammals

  • squirrels
  • chipmunks
  • rabbits
  • deer (they browse young shoots)
  • mice
  • voles

Insects

  • early‑season pollinators (for catkins)
  • caterpillars
  • beneficial predators
  • lacewings
  • spiders

Hazel is a keystone shrub in many ecosystems. It feeds and shelters a surprising number of species. If you plant Hazel, you are inviting life.

Common problems and what they mean

Nuts never sprouted

Likely causes:

  • roasted nuts
  • nuts were too old
  • no stratification
  • mold during stratification
  • nuts dried out

Seedlings vanished

Likely causes:

  • squirrels dug them up
  • slugs ate them
  • damping‑off fungus

Shrub grows but never nuts

Likely causes:

  • only one hazel (needs a partner)
  • two hazels but bloom times don’t overlap
  • heavy shade
  • pruning at the wrong time (remove catkins)

Leaves chewed

Normal. Hazel supports many caterpillars.

Seasonal rhythm: Hazel’s year

Late winter: Catkins release pollen; tiny red flowers appear.

Spring: Leaves emerge; new stems grow.

Summer: Shrub fills out; nuts develop.

Autumn: Nuts ripen; leaves turn gold.

Winter: Shrub rests; catkins form for next year.

Hazel is a seasonal metronome.

Grocery Store Garden · Grow Your Own

Related Matters

General Growing Concepts

  • Rooting & Sprouting Basics
  • Seed Viability
  • Dormancy Logic

Hazel‑Specific Concepts

  • Seedling vs. Cultivar Behavior
  • Wind Pollination Basics
  • Thicket Logic (Clonal Spread)
  • Coppicing Basics
  • Wildlife Shrub Ecology
  • Nut Maturation & Storage Logic

WE ALSO HAVE

  • Grow Your Own: Hazel From Cuttings
  • Grow Your Own: Hazel From Suckers
  • Hazel Troubleshooting

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