EVEN nuttier

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, anyone? Last issue we discussed a range of nuts that grow well in warmer climates. Now that we’re definitely into winter, it’s appropriate our thoughts turn to nut-producing trees that require a cool to cold climate to produce well. These include some of everybody’s favourites, from almonds and hazelnuts to pistachios and walnuts.

HAZELNUT, CORYLUS AMERICANA & C. AVELLANA

Australia imports around 2000 tonnes of hazelnuts each year, worth $10 million. Its own emerging growing areas, in the NSW central tablelands and alpine valleys of northeast Victoria, produce around 60 tonnes.

The hazelnut tree — actually more like a shrub, growing to 4m — hails from the eastern half of North America, from Louisiana and Georgia in the south to Manitoba and Quebec in the north. The beautiful catkin flowers will appear in spring, followed by the nuts. A mature, productive hazelnut tree will produce around 4kg of nuts each year.

Hazelnuts like a sheltered sunny location with free-draining soil that’s fairly low in