California Hazel

California Hazel (Corylus cornuta californica) is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to the Pacific Northwest and California, ranging from British Columbia to Washington and Oregon. Known for its edible seeds, this plant thrives in moist conditions with light to partial sun exposure. It prefers soils that are light, medium, or heavy (clay), with a pH between 4.8 and 7.5, making it adaptable but preferring slightly acidic to neutral soil. Standing up to 8 meters tall, California Hazel is hardy in zones 4-8, offering a distinctive feature of its catkin-like male flowers that emerge before the leaves in early spring.