Beaked Hazelnut

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Corylus supports 126 species of butterflies and moths as a caterpillar host plant in ecoregion 8 (NWF), making it a keystone genus for Lepidoptera. Top associates include large silk moths (Actias luna, Antheraea polyphemus, Hyalophora cecropia) and sphinx moths (Amorpha juglandis, Paonias myops, P. excaecatus). The genus provides critical early-season pollen for overwintering insects and dense thicket habitat for nesting birds.
S13 126 lepidoptera; S4 attracts birds and butterflies
🐛 Larval Host: Amorpha juglandis, Paonias myops, Acronicta funeralis, Campaea perlata, Paonias excaecatus, Actias luna, Schizura concinna, Antheraea polyphemus, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma, Synanthedon tipuliformis
S13+S15 11 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) rely on beaked hazelnut as a winter food source, with nuts comprising 12.4% occurrence in diet studies. Winter buds and spring catkins provide a valuable protein source for Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock. Nuts are also cached by red squirrels and chipmunks for winter use.
S57 Ruffed Grouse 12.4% occurrence; S4 nuts for ruffed grouse, buds/catkins for grouse and woodcock

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in both Canada (N5) and the United States (N5). Ranked S5 (Secure) in Ontario. Not ranked in Quebec (SNR) despite widespread occurrence with 447 QC specimens in GBIF and 20 herbarium records in CNH/MT. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. No conservation concerns.
S22 G5, N5, S5-ON, SNR-QC; S26 not SARA listed; S48 447 QC specimens; S54 20 QC herbarium records
Rarity Ranks: QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A common understory shrub of northern hardwoods forests, borders, and clearings throughout the mixed wood shield. Typically found in upland forests and thickets on moist to dry soils of moderate fertility. Associates with Acer rubrum, Betula papyrifera, Tilia americana, and Populus tremuloides in regenerating woodlands. Tolerates a wide range of conditions from dry sandy ridges to mesic forest understories.
S7 common understory shrub in northern hardwoods; S4 upland forests, thickets; S48 specimen habitat data; S62 Common in Ottawa

Roles: Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, 9-1, pp. 137, 149)]
Notes: Beaked hazelnut functions as an understory/low tree layer in the white oak-hazelnut guild described by Hemenway. Its suckering habit creates dense wildlife habitat and barrier plantings. The flat, suckering root pattern forms a plate near the soil surface, complementing deeper-rooted canopy trees. Can be coppiced on 7-10 year cycles for sustainable stem harvests while maintaining ground-layer plant diversity. Suitable as a hedge, windbreak, or erosion control plant in agroforestry systems.
S72 white_oak_hazelnut guild, wildlife habitat; S29 coppicing, agroforestry, suckering roots

Category: Cardiac, Stomachic, Odontalgic, Eye Medicine, Antirheumatic, Emetic, Pediatric Aid
S28 17 medicinal uses; S29 Cardiac, Odontalgic, Stomachic
Notes: Algonquin peoples used infusions of branches and leaves for intestinal disorders and heart troubles. Iroquois used bark decoctions for children's teething pain and as an emetic. Abnaki used bark decoctions for eye pain and sore eyes. Iroquois also applied branch poultices for rheumatism. Thompson peoples chewed buds as a throat aid. Approved as an herbal medicinal ingredient by Health Canada NHPID.
S28 Algonquin, Iroquois, Abnaki, Thompson medicinal uses; S29 cardiac, odontalgic, stomachic; S36 Health Canada NHPID approved

✅ Edible ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes: Nuts are edible raw or roasted and have a sweet, well-flavoured taste with a thin shell. They can be dried and ground into powder for bread, pies, and cereals. An edible oil is obtained from the seed. Historically an important food for multiple Indigenous nations including Algonquin, Cree, Iroquois, Salish, Chehalis, and Thompson peoples, who ate the nuts fresh, stored them for winter use, and traded them widely. Nuts ripen in mid to late autumn.
S29 sweet, well-flavoured, thin shell; S28 18 food uses across Indigenous nations; S11 Palatable Human=Yes