Lushootseed Name: q̓ap̓ux̌ʷ (pronounced kch-ah-pkch-och)

Location: A small shrubby individual located east of the path through Heron rookery, just south of the small patch of grass.

Summary: The Beaked Hazelnut tucked away between the UW Medicinal Herb Garden and the Heron Haven Park space may look a bit small and bushy to be called a true tree. However, the fact is that the definition of a tree varies somewhat from person to person and place to place. While some may consider this species a shrub in its native home range due to its tendency to have a multitude of trunks and a smaller form than the coniferous giants of surrounding forests, the Beaked Hazelnut’s maximum height of 26’ would make it appear a marvelously large tree were it to be found in, for example, the Sahara. I have chosen to include it on this Tree Tour because it is a large woody plant species one may encounter in out native forests, and because it is a wonderful food source. Hazelnuts, the fruit of this species, appear in late summer and early autumn. A traditional food source for First Nations from California up to Canada, the nuts may be roasted, stored, eaten raw, or powdered for use in cakes and stews. The blooms of this species are one of the earliest inflorescences of spring, and take the form of long dangling catkins (chains of wind pollinated flowers which hang from the branches). The texture of this species is of importance for learning identification; if this deciduous specimen has its leaves present when you visit, be sure to feel them! They are some of the softest one can find in our local forests, and a beautiful bright green besides. The tree is excellent for small garden plantings and can even be formed into hedges for any urban gardeners looking to plant natives. The species is also beloved by a wide array of other animals who also wish to take advantage of its nutritious nuts.

Identifying Features light: A small tree, this species more often than not appears as a shrub, with multiple stems and a bushy appearance. An understory tree, it has beautiful soft fuzzy light green leaves in a rounded shape and with small serrations. They are deciduous. They have pinnate venation and a zig zag alternate branching pattern. In spring the male flowers appear as dangling catkins before leaves, and sit preformed all winter until that point. The female nuts appear in fall and are like acorns in appearance, but wrapped in a long papery husk which appears in silhouette like a bird's beak.  Generally a small tree, they achieve heights of around 3-15ft (1-5m) here in the Pacific Northwest. In California, a tree which is either a subspecies or close relative of Beaked Hazelnut (depending on the source) may achieve greater heights of up to 45ft (15m).

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: A small tree with low apical control (many spreading trunks from a single base), lending the Beaked Hazelnut a generally bushy appearance. Generally a small tree, they achieve heights of around 3-15ft (1-5m) here in the Pacific Northwest. In California, a tree which is either a subspecies or close relative of Beaked Hazelnut (depending on the source) may achieve greater heights of up to 45ft (15m).

2. Leaves: The leaves of this species are light to bright green, rounded with a blunt end and abrupt tip. They are extremely soft to the touch, with many tiny hairs, and surrounded by irregular teeth. They are about 3.5in (9cm) in length and have pinnate venation. In fall they range from drab yellow to a reddish green before dropping to the ground.

3. Bark: The bark of these trees is a light to dark brown color and smooth. Twigs often are ascending and grow in a zigzag pattern with the alternate leaves.

4. Reproductive Bodies: Male catkins are bright yellow and dangle from branch tips in spring before new growth (they are present unopened but preformed during the winter. The female flowers are tiny and red tucked in beside leaf buds. In fall these develop into Hazelnuts, acorn-like in appearance but surrounded by a spiny splintery sheith in the shape of a bird’s head with a long protruding bill.

Historical Background: Indigenous peoples in the wide native range of this tree consume the nut, some fresh, others after being buried for storage. The twigs and stems have been used to make rope and to weave baskets and nets. Straight stems are valuable as arrow shafts. Beaked Hazelnuts are also important as a food source for a wide variety of birds and mammals, and it is rare to find a cache of ripe nuts not already picked over by one of their other consumers. These small creatures are instrumental in spreading the seeds. Indigenous peoples in many areas incorporated fire into landscape management, and Beaked Hazelnut is one of those species whose beneficial traits may be unlocked by fire, a low intensity burn allowing greater nut and soft stem production. The flowers of this species are wind pollinated and nuts appear only on branches between 2 and 18 years old. Deer, Moose, Elk, and Beaver all consume the leaves, and the thickets they create are good cover for other prey species.

Native Range: The Beaked Hazelnut has an immense native range, spanning up and down the mountain ranges of the Pacific Coast states, into the northern Rockies, and across Canada and the midwest to the Appilachians and south all the way to Alabama. It has several subspecies groups within this range as well as several other close relatives.