The Winkler has always been considered a native woodland
hazel, but, although it does show several similarities to Corylus
Americana, I have also noticed certain qualities which definitely
suggest some filbert heritage. I have based my theory on a study of the
Winkler hazels which have been bearing annually at my farm for six
years, bearing more regularly, in fact, than even the wild hazels
growing nearby. My comparisons have been made with wild hazels in both
Minnesota and Wisconsin and with European filberts.
I found the first point of similarity with the filbert is in the
involucre covering the nut. In the wild hazel, this folds against itself
to one side of the nut, while in the filbert it is about balanced and if
not already exposing a large part of the end of the nut, is easily
opened. The involucre of the Winkler hazel is formed much more like that
of the filbert than that of the hazel. In Corylus Americana this
involucre is usually thick, tough and watery, while in the filbert it is
thinner and drier, so that while a person may be deceived in the size of
a hazelnut still in its husk, he can easily tell that of a filbert. This
is also true of the Winkler whose involucre is fairly thick but outlines
the form of the enclosed nut.
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