Hazelnuts: Somerset

• High yielding tree with small to medium size, round kernels with moderately good blanching, making it suitable for a variety of confectionary and baked good applications as well as for direct eating especially when roasted
• Has notably thin shells and tends to produce good crops even on young trees
• Compact tree with a slightly spreading growth habit that reaches about two thirds the size of 'Raritan' at maturity
• Trees at 15 years can reach 15 feet tall
• Has notably dark green leaves that are slightly crinkled making it distinguishable from the other cultivars
• Carries an EFB resistance gene from the Spanish cultivar 'Ratoli' that has shown excellent protection from the causal fungus
• No fungicide sprays are expected to be needed for production although regular scouting for cankers and pruning off infected branches, if ever present, is highly recommended
• 'Somerset' nuts have an attractive dark brown shell and a majority (>85%) drop free from the husk and fall cleanly at maturity
• ‘Somerset’ nuts typically fall in the second half of September along with 'Raritan'
• Regarding pollination, 'Somerset' has S-alleles 3 and 10 with S3 expressed in the pollen, and it blooms in early to mid-season in New Jersey

• US Plant Patent No. PP32,494 issued on November 24, 2020
• Corylus Plant Named 'Somerset'
• Pending Plant Breeders Rights Application

Contact: Christine Chow

Email: compliance@research.rutgers.edu