Berezokoriy is a species of hazel, also known as hazelnut, which is a deciduous shrub or small tree belonging to the birch family. It is widely distributed in mixed, broadleaf, and coniferous forests, where it serves as undergrowth and occurs on forest edges. Hazel has moderate height, and its leaves may vary in color depending on the variety — from green to dark red. In spring, before leafing out, the shrub flowers, forming staminate catkins up to 10 cm long. Flowering occurs from February to March, making it one of the earliest flowering plants of the season. The fruits of Berezokoriy are nuts known as hazelnuts, which have an elongated-oval or nearly cylindrical shape, 2–2.5 cm long and about 1.5 cm in diameter. Nuts grow in clusters of 3–6 on a stem up to 3 cm long, covered by a fleshy husk that tightly envelops the fruit and ends in a narrowing tube with toothed lobes. Fruits ripen in September, after which the shell becomes dry and silver-brown. The plant has high yield: by the 5th–6th year, it can produce up to 60 centners per hectare. To improve fruit quality during formation, nitrogen fertilizer (urea) is applied, and shrubs are thinned to leave 8–10 branches. Berezokoriy is highly frost-resistant (up to -30°C) and tolerant of various soils, though it does not tolerate dry sandy, waterlogged, or saline soils. The plant is shade-tolerant and grows well on slopes, except on southern slopes where early flowering may be at risk of frost damage. Hazel wood is used for making bent rods, and the nuts are widely used in food and confectionery industries, making Berezokoriy a valuable and versatile plant for both agriculture and ornamental landscaping.
