Hazelnut - Corylus
Avellana / Colurna
New Zealand hazlenut varieties
Hazelnut trees are hardy, easy-to-grow fruit tree varieties that rank among the most manageable nut-producing fruit trees for New Zealand home orchards and edible gardens. These resilient hazelnut varieties thrive in New Zealand's climate, enjoying cool winters, wet springs, and warm summers - making them naturally suited to many regional growing conditions.
Optimal Growing Conditions: Hazelnut trees prefer fertile, moist soil and can tolerate frosts well, though they require shelter from wind for optimal performance. When planning your edible garden, allow 2.5-5 meters between hazelnut varieties depending on tree vigor and mature size. These fruit tree varieties perform best in protected sites that provide consistent moisture without waterlogging.
Recommended Varieties for New Zealand: 'Whiteheart' hazelnut trees represent the current favorite among South Island orchardists and are excellent fruit tree varieties for home orchard cultivation. Growing to approximately 4 meters tall, 'Whiteheart' exhibits lower vigor than other hazelnut varieties while producing high-quality, flavorsome nuts of smaller size - perfect for cooking and processing applications.
Pollination Requirements: Hazelnut trees rely on wind pollination from catkins of different varieties, making strategic variety selection crucial for edible garden planning. For optimal pollination, plant a maximum of 1 pollinator hazelnut variety for every 9 other trees, considering prevailing wind direction for effective pollen distribution. If space permits, combining 3-4 different hazelnut varieties provides ideal pollination coverage for home orchards.
Management and Care: Hazelnut varieties require regular pruning to prevent sucker growth that forms dense bushes at tree bases. During hot summer months, these fruit trees need irrigation, requiring regular monitoring to maintain adequate moisture levels. Hazelnut trees can be susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases, particularly in areas experiencing extended wet periods followed by hot weather.
Pest Management: The primary pest threat to hazelnut varieties is big bud mite, which affects developing buds. Affected buds should be removed during winter dormancy to maintain tree health and productivity in edible gardens.
Establishment and Maturity: Young hazelnut trees require more attention and care during establishment, but once mature, these fruit tree varieties become remarkably tolerant of adverse conditions and develop increased disease resistance. This resilience makes hazelnut varieties excellent long-term investments for home orchards.
Benefits for Home Orchards: Hazelnut trees offer multiple advantages for New Zealand edible gardens: they're among the easiest nuts to grow, adapt well to local climate conditions, and provide productive harvests with proper variety selection and basic management. Their wind-pollination system and tolerance for challenging conditions make them reliable fruit tree varieties for dedicated home growers.
Growing hazelnut trees successfully combines understanding their pollination needs with providing appropriate spacing, shelter, and moisture management. These hardy fruit tree varieties reward careful planning with years of productive nut harvests.
Use our fruit tree selector to determine the best hazelnut varieties and pollination combinations for your New Zealand edible garden and climate conditions.