How Fast Do Hazelnut Trees Grow? A Guide to Their Growth Rate and Habit

Hazelnut trees, also known as filbert trees, are a versatile addition to any home orchard or edible landscape Their multi-stemmed bushes produce tasty nuts while providing beauty, shade, and wildlife habitat But how fast do these underrated nut trees actually grow?

Here’s an in-depth look at the growth rate and habit of hazelnut trees:

Hazelnut Growth Rate is Relatively Fast Among Nut Trees

Most nut trees are slow growing, taking many years to reach maturity and bear nuts. Pecan, walnut, chestnut, and almond trees can take a decade or longer to fruit

Hazelnuts, on the other hand, are one of the fastest growing nut trees you can grow. Their rapid growth makes them a good choice for impatient gardeners.

From planting to maturity, here’s what to expect from hazelnut growth rates:

• Years 1-2: Fast growth of up to 3 feet per year. Establishes branching framework.

• Years 3-4: First nuts appear. Growth slows to 1-2 feet per year.

• Years 5+: Reaches mature size of 10-18 feet tall and wide. Continues bearing abundant nuts.

So hazelnuts can reach maturity and start producing a crop in just 4-5 years. That’s 3-4 times faster than other nut trees. Their quick establishment is a major perk for home growers.

Mature Hazelnut Trees Reach 10-18 Feet Tall and Wide

Given proper growing conditions, a mature hazelnut tree will reach a height and width of 10-18 feet. They naturally grow as multi-stemmed bushes.

Their ultimate size depends on a few factors:

• Variety: American hazelnut varieties like ‘Jefferson’ tend to grow bigger than European filberts.

• Rootstock: Grafted trees are generally smaller than hazelnut grown on its own roots.

• Pruning and training: Keeping hazelnuts pruned to a central leader results in a taller, narrower tree compared to unpruned bushes.

• Soil quality: Rich, moist, well-draining soil enables optimal growth. Poor soils stunt plants.

• Climate: Hazelnuts thrive in USDA zones 4-9. Warm zones encourage larger sizes.

Given adequate space, hazelnuts rarely outgrow their allotted area in home landscapes. Their bushy form lends them well to hedgerows, borders, and nut groves.

Growth Habit Favors Multi-Stemmed Shrubs

Hazelnuts have a natural tendency to grow as large shrubs rather than classic central leader trees. This is due to their growth habit.

Unlike most nut trees, hazelnuts produce catkins. These dangling flower clusters emerge along last year’s shoots. For good pollination and nut set, hazelnuts need an open structure with plenty of branching.

Left unpruned, hazelnut branches spread outwards rather than ascending vertically like a classic tree form. Their branches originate low to the ground in a multi-stemmed habit.

However, hazelnuts can be trained to a central leader form more like a tree through diligent pruning. Cutting out inward facing branches encourages upright growth. But their natural shrubby form takes over without frequent pruning.

Rapid Early Growth Requires Proper Care

Those first few years of aggressive growth need proper care for success:

• Weed control: Hazelnuts hate competition from weeds and grass. Maintain a 3 foot weed-free radius.

• Watering: Establishing plants need 1-2 inches of water per week until root systems develop. Then water only during drought.

• Pruning: In years 1-2, remove inward facing branches and train selected leaders. Then maintain structure via occasional thinning cuts.

• Fertilizer: Apply a balanced organic fertilizer in early spring before growth resumes.

• Pest control: Protect young trees from rodent damage in winter. Monitor for common hazelnut pests like filbert blight.

With the right early care, your hazelnut’s fast growth will translate into a healthy, productive specimen for decades to come.

Ideal Growing Conditions Maximize Growth Potential

To fully achieve their genetically predisposed size, hazelnuts need optimal growing conditions:

• Sunlight: At least 6-8 hours of direct sun daily. Morning sun is preferable.

• Soil: Moist, fertile loam. Prefers a pH of 6.0-7.0.

• Drainage: Absolutely must have good drainage. Avoid soggy soils.

• Space: Allow a 15 foot radius per tree for roots and air circulation.

• Climate: Thrives in cool, temperate zones like the Pacific Northwest. Protect from late spring freezes.

Meeting these ideal conditions allows your young hazelnut tree to maximize its inherent vigorous growth habit and reach mature size more quickly.

Strategies to Control Hazelnut Tree Size

Hazelnuts naturally reach 10-15 feet, but it is possible to intentionally limit mature size. Reasons for restricting size include fitting trees into smaller spaces or increasing nut yields in high density orchards.

Some options for controlling hazelnut tree size include:

• Planting in containers above ground or buried in the landscape

• Espalier training against fences or walls

• Summer pruning to remove new growth

• Root pruning around the mature tree’s drip line

• Choosing genetic dwarf varieties like ‘Yamhill’

• Opting for grafted, container-grown trees which have smaller root systems

Even with size control methods, hazelnuts rarely thrive at less than 6 feet mature height. These fast growing trees need adequate room for roots and branching structure.

Hazelnut Growth Slows After Maturity

Hazelnuts really pump the brakes after their initial burst of youthful growth. Once the tree reaches maturity around years 4-5, vertical height increases very slowly.

However, mature hazelnut bushes continue expanding outwards. Their reach can infringe upon adjacent trees and infrastructure if not managed. Monitor for encroachment and prune to keep mature specimens tidy.

The nut crop also intensifies over time. Hazelnut’s growth energy goes towards producing bigger harvests on established branches rather than new vegetation.

Pruning old, unproductive wood stimulates new replacement shoots and more catkins for improved pollination and nut set. But left alone, mature hazelnuts grow quite slowly.

Let Hazelnuts Grow at Their Natural Pace

Hazelnuts offer the perks of a mature nut harvest in just a few seasons – early payoff for the home grower’s effort. Embrace their exceptionally fast growth rate among nut trees, which leads to compact, highly productive bushes.

With minimal care focused on training structure, weed control, and pests, hazelnuts transform quickly from whips into heavy nut producers. Then they settle into a maintenance groove.

So relax and let hazelnuts grow at their natural brisk pace. You’ll be gathering armloads of fresh nuts before you know it!