Moscow Rubin is a hazelnut variety (Corylus avellana) obtained through the breeding program of the All-Russian Research Institute of Agroforestry (VNIILM) and introduced from the Ivanteevka nursery in 1980. The bush is characterized by strong growth, reaching heights of up to 6 meters and a crown diameter of about 5 meters. It has a spreading, medium-density crown with straight shoots of medium thickness covered with grayish 'lenticels' and slightly drooping. The leaves are large (10–12 cm in length, 8–10 cm in width), round in shape, maroon in color, smooth on the surface with a light fuzz underneath.
Floristically, the nuts of this variety are large in size: length about 26 mm and width 22 mm. The shape is elongated, with a blunt tip, an elongated and bumpy base. Nuts are gathered in inflorescences of 2–4 pieces. Maturation period is late: nuts become edible at the end of August–beginning of September. Yield is moderate – from 0.8 to 1 ton/ha of dry nuts in the shell; at the same time, the variety is characterized by periodic fruiting.
Moscow Rubin is resistant to frost and drought, and is also protected from major diseases: hazelnut weevil, bud mite, and long-horned beetle. It adapts well to various growing conditions; when grown on fertile soils, high productivity and longevity are achieved. The variety is also known for the fact that in early summer the leaves and nuts are colored with dark-raspberry shades, and the shell is thin (about 1.1 mm) and smooth. The height of a sapling is usually 400–500 cm, and the height of the crown is up to 6 m, which makes it suitable for open ground in USDA zone 2b.
Thus, Moscow Rubin is a reliable, high-yielding, and resistant hazelnut variety with large nuts, excellent adaptability to climate and soil conditions, as well as attractive leaf and fruit appearance.
