Hazel or Cobnut, Corylus avellana
Hazel can be grown as a tall hedge. They need to be left untrimmed or only lightly trimmed if seed is required.
We call hazelnuts cobnuts when we uses a variety that gives bigger and more nuts.
The seed can be eaten raw or roasted and used in breads, cakes, biscuits, sweets etc. An excellent nut for raw eating.
They can also be liquidized and used as a plant milk. The seeds are rich in oil.
The seed ripens in mid to late autumn and will probably need to be protected from squirrels.
When kept in a cool place, and not shelled, the seed should store for at least 12 months.
A clear yellow edible oil is obtained from the seed. It is used in salad dressings, baking etc.
The seed contains up to 65% of a non-drying oil, used in paints, cosmetics etc.
The whole seed can be used to polish and oil wood. It is very easy to apply and produces a nice finish.
The finely ground seeds are used as an ingredient of face masks in cosmetics.
The bark and leaves are a source of tannin.
Wood - soft, easy to split, not very durable, beautifully veined. Used for inlay work, small items of furniture, hurdles, wattles, basketry, pea sticks etc.
The twigs are used as dowsing rods by water diviners.
The wood also yields a good quality charcoal, used by artists.