Corylus avellana Tonda Gentile Romana

Corylus avellana 'Tonda Gentile Romana' is a Hazel tree of Italian origin, widely cultivated in Latium, north of Rome, where it is used for the commercial production of hazelnuts. It is very productive, harvested between late August and late September, and provides round fruits with easily cracked shells. They reveal a very good quality, crunchy hazelnut with a fine and persistent aroma. It can be consumed fresh or dried, in pastries and spreads. The small tree grows with several thin trunks and thrives in full sun or partial shade, in neutral or limestone soil, moist but not too dry.

Corylus avellana belongs to the Betulaceae family, just like Birch, Alder or Hornbeam. It is native to temperate areas of the northern hemisphere. It is a small monoecious fruit tree, bearing male inflorescences distinct from female inflorescences on the same plant. It is self-fertile, but benefits from the presence of another individual to yield a better crop, through cross-pollination carried out by wind and bees that transport its pollen to other plants.

The 'Tonda Gentile Romana' cultivar is renowned for hazelnut production. This moderately suckering bush is interesting in small gardens. It blooms in the form of yellow-green catkins in February or March, thus adding an aesthetic touch to the garden. The very dense deciduous foliage appears later and gives the Corylus its bushy appearance. The leaves are round, strongly veined, and 6 to 10 cm long. The fruits that form on 3 to 4-year-old shoots are achenes called hazelnuts. In 'Tonda Gentile Romana', they are medium-sized with a thin shell. They are usually ready to be harvested from the end of August to September.
For a good yield, this variety needs to be pollinated by another variety, such as the Hazelnut 'Merveille de Bollwiller'. This relatively early variety will allow you to extend the harvest season as it ripens towards the end of August. It is extremely hardy, well below -20 °C.
The lifespan of the common hazel is about 60 years.

To accompany 'Tonda Gentile Romana' in a fruit hedge or a country garden, plant a Blackthorn from which you can prepare jams with its blue-black fruits. In the same idea of a slightly wild hedge, also consider Amelanchier, such as Amelanchier alnifolia Saskatoon Berry, with small spherical fruits resembling blueberries, which can be used in desserts, pastries, or jams. An original bush, Crataegus pinnatifida Big Ball, a Chinese Hawthorn with a small size (3.50 m) but larger fruits than other species, suitable for compotes or jams, and rich in vitamin C, will also be a good companion.