Purpleleaf Bailey Select American Hazelnut

Brace yourself. The Purpleleaf Bailey Select American Hazelnut (Corylus americana 'Purpleleaf Bailey Select') will make your heart flutter with its delicious edible nuts and unbeatable ornamental appearance.

Not only is this tall shrub a great addition to your edible garden, but you can use it for a wide array of purposes in your yard or garden. This native shrub will steal your heart and garner the attention of your garden visitors.

The Purpleleaf Bailey Select American Hazelnut is perfect for home gardeners that love their plants to do double or triple duty. This magnificent plant adds bold merlot hues to your landscape and produces mouthwatering hazelnuts.

As its name implies, this Hazelnut has splendid burgundy new growth foliage that slowly and subtly, transforms to green with wine-colored overtones. Making this display even more attractive, this remarkable hazelnut has broad heart-shaped leaves with incised edges and a stunning vein pattern. As these scalloped leaves begin to feel the effects of fall they fade to an attractive bronze.

While this shrub's foliage will surely capture your heart and imagination, it also produces beautiful purple catkins that offer additional ornamental charm.

What about the Purpleleaf Bailey Select American Hazelnut's hazelnuts? They're just as impressive as this shrub's appearance. These edible nuts grow in clusters of two to four and will ripen in time for roasting in the fall. Because the Purpleleaf Hazlenut doesn't grow taller than your reach with a step ladder, you can easily shake ripe hazelnuts for a bountiful harvest you'll be proud of.

When should you collect these meaty and richly flavored nuts? In most zones, hazelnuts ripen from September into October. To maximize the yield of edible nuts, you will want to lay down landscaping fabric or mow beneath and around the shrub.

This will prevent below-ground critters from eating your bounty. If you're unsure if your hazelnuts have been munched on by worms or bugs, you can put them in a bucket and fill it with water. Any hazelnuts that float should be discarded. Then you can dry them in a warm area of your home for a few weeks or use a food dehydrator. Once dried, your hazelnuts will store for months.

You can't go wrong when it comes to preparing your hazelnuts. They'll be dried and ready to roast for the holidays or you can make your own hazelnut spread. Impress your friends and family with fresh, homegrown hazelnuts in fresh-baked cookies or chopped or ground into pesto.

How to Use the Purpleleaf Bailey Select American Hazelnut in the Landscape

While the Purpleleaf Bailey Hazelnut's nuts are unbeatable, this shrub's value in the landscape is just as remarkable. The Purpleleaf American Hazelnut grows in a balanced, mounding form and fills in thoroughly with foliage. This makes it an excellent choice as a native hedge with an organic shape.

Because of the density of the foliage and its height, this shrub will provide you with a deciduous screen for added privacy.

Use the Purpleleaf Bailey Select American Hazelnut as a foundation planting that will set off your other plants. Or use it as an accent for height and color in your garden bed.

Plant one at each corner of your pool deck or patio to make collecting the tasty nuts easy.

Of course, this prized hazelnut is a beautiful addition to your wildlife garden and will keep your local critters full and happy. In fact, you will want to keep your camera or binoculars handy so you can keep track of all the garden visitors that will appreciate your generosity.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Plant your Purpleleaf Bailey Select American Hazelnut in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil. It isn't picky about soil composition as long as it can keep its feet dry.

You can also prune this shrub almost any time of the year. You will want to remove older stems as low as possible. This will keep your Purpleleaf Bailey Select American Hazelnut healthy and happy.

Remove suckers as needed and water well when first planted.

For gardeners with a love of multi-tasking plants, the Purpleleaf Bailey Select American Hazelnut is a dream-come-true. Prepare to fill your basket with pristine edible nuts and fill your garden with striking purple foliage. This shrub is a crowd-pleaser, so get yours before the crowd catches the wind and we sell out.