| The modern name for filberts has evolved
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| | chocolate brown; however, the filberts
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| from European folklore. The original name
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| | (hazelnuts) are not released from the
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| was connected with Saint Philbert's Day
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| | hull until 6 weeks later, after drying.
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| (Saint Filbert), the day that harvesting
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| | The nuts may grow in clusters up to 12
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| the nuts began, August 22nd, the day of
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| | nuts, about the size of acorns, and are
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| observing the Saint's day of celebration.
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| | usually mature during the last week of
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| The famous Roman historian, Pliny,
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| | August, being collected during the last
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| recorded that 'hazels' (filberts) were
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| | of September. Although filberts are
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| frequently gathered by the Romans as
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| | gathered by hand in Europe for commercial
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| food. Pliny believed that filberts
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| | markets, they are gathered mechanically
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| (hazelnuts) had originated in Damascus,
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| | in nut orchards of Washington State and
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| Syria, where they grew naturally in
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| | Oregon in the United States.
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| forests; however, archeological records
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| | American filberts, 'Corylus Americana
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| have shown some fossilized remains of
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| | Walt.,' were described in historical
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| filberts (hazelnuts) that were 5000 years
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| | literature as growing among native
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| old in prehistoric excavations from
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| | forests in bush form, although
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| China. Almonds are found growing wild
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| | commercially the plant can be formed into
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| today in many European countries and Asia
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| | a small tree up to 12 feet tall by
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| Minor. There, the climates are mild
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| | removing the lower limbs. This filbert
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| during winter with cool summers near
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| | tree is very cold hardy, surviving cold
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| moist soils and large bodies of water
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| | extremes down to minus 30 degrees F; Zone
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| like the Black Sea boundaries around
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| | 3 to 9, from a range that extends from
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| Turkey and near the Mediterranean Sea
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| | Maine south to Georgia and westward to
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| surrounding Sicily and Italy.
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| | Missouri and Oklahoma. The American
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| The first commercial nursery in the U.S.
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| | filbert (hazelnut) tree is commonly
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| was established by Robert Prince in 1737
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| | propagated by dividing clumps. This
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| in Flushing, N.Y. George Washington
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| | filbert tree is very aggressive and can
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| visited this nursery by river barge in
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| | emerge from severely burned over forests
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| the spring of 1789 just after being
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| | to become reestablished from the very
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| elected the nation's first President.
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| | woody, large rhizomes that grow about six
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| During the Revolutionary War, General
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| | inches beneath the soil; the American
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| Washington sent armed guards to surround
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| | filbert is very shade tolerant and grows
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| and protect this valuable nursery that
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| | in light intensity as low as 1% along
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| contained American filbert trees and
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| | streams, woodlands, pastures, roadsides,
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| "Barcelona" filbert trees that were
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| | and forest edges. The tree can produce
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| imported from Spain. When Lewis and Clark
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| | nuts as early as the second year.
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| conducted their exploration of the
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| | Filberts are eaten by mammals, quail,
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| Northwest during the presidency of Thomas
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| | deer, and large birds. The kernels of
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| Jefferson, they returned with collected
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| | filberts are used in cereals,
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| specimen plants to be used as nursery
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| | confections, candies, cakes, and canned
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| stock at Prince Nursery for propagation,
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| | as pure hazelnuts or mixed nuts for sale
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| research, and sale. Professor of
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| | at Halloween, Thanksgiving, and
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| Horticulture and Pomology, Dr.
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| | Christmas. Filbert hazelnuts are also
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| MacDaniels, of Cornell University, did
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| | used to flavor soups, to be eaten raw or
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| much filbert hazelnut research at a very
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| | to be ground into a flour to form a cake
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| large nut orchard that he established
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| | like bread.
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| early during the last century near
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| | One report from the University of Georgia
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| Ithaca, New York.
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| | farm claims that filberts (hazelnuts)
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| Filberts are alleged to conjure up
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| | have matured on plants that are located
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| mystical powers by certain cult members
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| | there at the trial orchard.
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| and have been thought since ancient times
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| | World production of filbert hazelnuts is
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| to be used as 'divining rods' to locate
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| | dominated by Europe and the Mideast;
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| underground springheads of water, buried
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| | 75-80% of the world's nuts are harvested
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| treasure, minerals, ores, and as various
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| | from orchards near the Black sea,
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| remedies for illness and ailments of many
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| | bordering Turkey. Another 15% of filberts
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| kinds.
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| | are produced from Italy and Sicily, and a
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| The European filbert (hazelnut) tree,
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| | 2% share of the market comes from
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| 'Corylus avellana L.,' is the world's
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| | Washington State and Oregon.
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| most common and commercially advantageous
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| | As a health concern, many people need to
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| filbert that is familiar and available to
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| | reduce their risk for heart disease. The
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| markets of today. This European filbert
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| | FDA claimed "consuming just 1.5 ounces of
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| tree grows to 20 feet in orchards when
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| | hazelnuts per day may help reduce the
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| trained into a tree by removing the lower
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| | risk of cardiovascular disease" as part
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| limbs. Orchardists there expect filbert
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| | of a diet low in saturated fat and
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| trees to bear after three years of
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| | cholesterol. Doctors have proven at a
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| planting and a mature tree averages 20-25
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| | Boston, MA hospital health study that
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| pounds of nuts per year. Two different
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| | states, "men who consumed nuts twice or
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| trees are necessary to insure nut
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| | more in a week had a 47% lower risk of
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| production through cross pollination.
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| | sudden cardiac (heart attack) death, and
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| The developing nuts are green in color,
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| | 30% lower risk of coronary heart disease
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| but when mature, the nuts turn a
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| | death.
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