Hazelnuts are a delicious and nutritious nut that is used in many food products. While most of the world’s hazelnuts come from the Black Sea region of northern Turkey, the United States also has a significant hazelnut industry.
In fact, almost all of the hazelnuts produced commercially in the United States are grown in the Pacific Northwest. But did you know that hazelnut trees are native to the eastern half of North America? Despite this, almost all hazelnuts consumed in North America are sourced from either Oregon or Turkey.
In this article, we will explore where hazelnuts grow in the United States and why there is a shortage of native American hazelnuts. So, grab a handful of your favorite hazelnuts and let’s dive in!
Where Do Hazelnuts Grow In The United States
As mentioned earlier, almost all of the hazelnuts produced commercially in the United States are grown in the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, approximately 99% of hazelnuts grown in the US are grown in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, with the remaining 1% being produced in Washington.
The Pacific Northwest coastal valleys have a moderate climate that is influenced by the Pacific Ocean, which is the dominant feature controlling the distribution of commercial hazelnut production in the United States. This climate is ideal for hazelnut trees, which require mild winters and moderate summers to thrive.
However, hazelnut trees are native to the eastern half of North America, from Louisiana to Georgia in the south and Manitoba and Quebec in the north. The native hazelnut trees (Corylus americana) are hardy, disease-resistant, and tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions. Despite this, there is a shortage of native American hazelnuts.
The native nuts tend to be smaller and not as tasty as the European hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) that have been selected for quality for hundreds and thousands of years. This is where hybridization of the two hazelnut species for the past century has yielded new varieties that have the best qualities of both.
Hazelnut organizations have formed to promote growing this native crop with improved qualities. However, it took many generations of hybridizing to generate native trees with large tasty nuts.
Introduction To Hazelnuts In The United States
Hazelnuts have a long and fascinating history in the United States. While the native hazelnut species can be found in the eastern half of North America, it is the European hazelnut varieties that are commercially produced in the country. The first hazelnut trees were introduced to the western United States from Europe in the mid-1800s by English sailor Sam Strickland, who planted the first hazelnut tree in Scottsburg, Oregon.
Today, almost all of the hazelnuts produced commercially in the United States are grown in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, with a small percentage grown in Washington. The Pacific Northwest’s moderate climate, influenced by the Pacific Ocean, is ideal for hazelnut trees, which require mild winters and moderate summers to thrive.
While the native American hazelnut trees are hardy and disease-resistant, they tend to be smaller and not as tasty as their European counterparts. However, organizations have been formed to promote growing native hazelnuts with improved qualities. Hybridization of the two species has yielded new varieties that have the best qualities of both.
Hazelnuts have been an important crop in Oregon for over a century, with George Dorris starting the first commercial orchard with Barcelona hazelnut trees in 1903. Today, there are around 35,000 acres of commercial hazelnuts in Oregon, and hazelnuts have become Oregon’s official state nut. The total value growers received for their hazelnut crop has averaged nearly $70 million during the last five years, translating into a total economic impact of more than $150 million in Oregon.
The Origins Of Hazelnuts In North America
Despite the fact that almost all hazelnuts consumed in North America are sourced from Oregon or Turkey, hazelnut trees are actually native to the eastern half of North America. The American hazelnut or American filbert (Corylus americana) is a deciduous shrub that is native to the eastern and central United States and extreme southern parts of eastern and central Canada.
The American hazelnut can be found throughout the Midwest, East, and Southeast of the United States and Canada. It grows in moist prairies, fence rows, edges, dry woods, and thickets. The adaptable hazelnut prefers full sun to light shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and a variety of soil types, including those that are loamy, sandy, or rocky.
The American hazelnut has been an important source of food for wildlife for centuries. Many insects feed on the leaves, nuts, and other parts of American hazelnut. The nuts are eaten by various birds such as the ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite quail, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, greater prairie chicken, red-bellied woodpecker, and blue jay. Mammals that eat the nuts include the eastern chipmunk, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, red squirrel, white-footed mouse, and deer mouse. White-tailed deer and cottontail rabbits browse on the twigs and leaves. When this shrub grows near water, beavers use the stems as a source of food and in the construction of their lodges and dams.
Although hazelnuts are native to North America, commercial production is concentrated in regions close to large bodies of water that moderate the climate. Hazelnut-producing regions of the world include northern Turkey (70% of world production), Italy (20%), Spain, France, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the United States. The Pacific Northwest coastal valleys, influenced by the Pacific Ocean, are ideal for commercial hazelnut production in the United States.
The Hazelnut Industry In The Pacific Northwest
The hazelnut industry in the Pacific Northwest has been thriving for over a century. Today, about 1,000 farm families in Oregon grow hazelnuts on more than 80,000 acres. Many of these families are third- or fourth-generation orchardists who are passionate about protecting the productivity of the land and trees for generations to come.
The industry is currently in an expansion mode with more acres being planted each year. Growers are finding hazelnut production to be an excellent use of land in the Willamette Valley. Quality distinguishes the Oregon-grown hazelnut from imports, and achieving and maintaining the highest level of quality is the overarching principal of the industry. The success of growers can be measured by the demand for Oregon hazelnuts across the globe today.
In 2020, ahead of the hazelnut harvest season, the USDA published their annual forecast for hazelnut production in Oregon based on a yield survey funded by the Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board. They forecasted production to be 71,000 tons, a 61% increase from the year prior. Hazelnut growers were excited to report that the forecasted numbers were correct. It was, in fact, a boom year for the crop in the Pacific Northwest. The substantial rise can be attributed to a 20% increase in mature acreage and healthy trees. Growers didn’t have to contend with blight as they have in years past. In addition to it being a record output, growers also saw higher returns on their crop this year.
Eastern Filbert Blight (EFB), a fungus native to eastern North America, has obstructed hazelnut production throughout the U.S. Its native host is the American hazelnut, in which the fungus causes limited damage. In the European hazelnut, however, EFB causes severe cankering, branch dieback, and even death. EFB is the primary reason commercial hazelnuts have not been grown elsewhere in the U.S. EFB has also severely impacted hazelnut production in the Northwest since the fungus was introduced to Oregon and Washington in the 1960s. Fungicides have been useful in suppressing or delaying growth of EFB in orchards of susceptible cultivars. The development of EFB-resistant cultivars has facilitated the expansion of hazelnut production in Oregon and Washington. As these fungus-resistant cultivars expand into other areas of the U.S., the country could become one of the world’s leading sustainable hazelnut producers.
The Oregon hazelnut industry is expected to double in the next five years, and Hazelnut Growers of Oregon, a business unit of farmer-owned cooperative Wilco, is leading the way. They have more than 180 growers who collectively own more than 20,000 acres of prime hazelnut orchards. In 2018, they completed their 120,000 square-foot state-of-the-art hazelnut process facility in Aurora, Oregon. HGO processes a variety of hazelnut products, including in-shell, kernels, oils, butters, and baking ingredients for food service supply companies, confectionaries, snack food makers, and bakers around the globe. With 99% of U.S. hazelnuts coming from Oregon, it’s fitting that the Pacific Northwest will serve as a starting point for the national Health Nut campaign.
Hazelnut Production In Other Parts Of The United States
While the Pacific Northwest is the dominant region for commercial hazelnut production in the United States, there are efforts to expand production to other parts of the country. Specifically, scientists are working on developing hazelnut cultivars that can thrive in the Midwest region.
The Midwest has a climate that is similar to that of the hazelnut’s native range in eastern North America. This makes it an ideal location for hazelnut production, as these trees have already proven to be hardy and disease-resistant in this region.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been leading the charge in developing hazelnut cultivars that are adapted to the Midwest climate. They have been working on breeding programs to create hazelnut trees that can withstand colder winters and hotter summers.
In addition to Nebraska, other states in the Midwest, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, have also shown interest in hazelnut production. The potential benefits of hazelnut production in these regions include diversifying crop options for farmers, providing a new source of income, and promoting sustainable agriculture practices.
Challenges Facing American Hazelnut Growers
Despite the potential for expanding hazelnut production in the United States, there are several challenges facing American hazelnut growers. One of the main challenges is the susceptibility of European hazelnut trees to eastern filbert blight, a fungal disease that has devastated hazelnut orchards in the past. While native American hazelnut trees are resistant to this disease, they do not have the same desirable qualities as European hazelnuts.
To address this challenge, researchers and growers are working to develop hybrid varieties that are resistant to eastern filbert blight while still maintaining the desirable qualities of European hazelnuts. This process is time-consuming and requires extensive testing to ensure that the resulting trees are both resistant to disease and produce high-quality nuts.
Another challenge facing American hazelnut growers is competition from larger hazelnut-producing countries such as Turkey and Italy. These countries have established markets and infrastructure for hazelnut production and distribution, making it difficult for American growers to compete on a global scale.
Additionally, hazelnut production requires specific growing conditions that may not be present in all regions of the United States. While the Pacific Northwest has a climate that is ideal for hazelnuts, other regions may not be as suitable for growing this crop. This limits the potential for expanding hazelnut production beyond the Pacific Northwest.
The Future Of Hazelnut Production In The United States
The future of hazelnut production in the United States looks bright. The demand for hazelnuts is high, and the market needs many suppliers to meet that demand. According to Report Linker, the hazelnut market could grow by nearly $2.5 billion between 2022 and 2026.
The uptick in planting and subsequent production of US hazelnuts is made possible thanks to a new variety of hazelnut tree cultivated by Oregon University’s natural breeding program that was first released in 2012. The new Jefferson variety of hazelnut tree is not susceptible to the blight that has been slowly killing many of the existing hazelnut trees.
This, combined with hazelnuts’ reputation as a profitable easy-going crop, has made planting hazelnuts more appealing to Oregon farmers. Many farmers not only replaced existing hazelnut trees with the new variety but used it to replace other commodity crops that have not performed as well in recent years or historically dip during recessions.
Hazelnut organizations are also promoting growing native American hazelnuts with improved qualities. However, it took many generations of hybridizing to generate native trees with large tasty nuts. With continued research and development, it is possible that native American hazelnuts can become a more significant player in the US hazelnut market.
Furthermore, there are opportunities for expansion beyond the Pacific Northwest. Other regions in the US, such as the Northeast and Midwest, have climates that are suitable for growing hazelnuts. As climate change continues to alter weather patterns, it is possible that new areas of the country may become viable for hazelnut production.
In conclusion, the future of hazelnut production in the United States looks promising. With new varieties of hazelnut trees and potential for expansion into new regions, there is room for growth in this industry. As demand for hazelnuts continues to increase, it is likely that more farmers will turn to this profitable crop.