Leska

Description
Leska is a one-gendered plant, which means that  it develops male and female inflorescence on the same plant. Men’s inflorescences are catkins that develop in summer and winter. The female flowers are hidden in the flower buds, from which grow small red furrows. The plant pollinates with the help of the wind. Usually male and female flowers do not bloom at the same time. That’s why hazel is difficult to pollinate with its own pollen. We are talking about auto-sterility. For good pollination we must plant together several varieties with different flowering times. The fruit is categorized as a nut and develops in groups of 1 to 5 nutmegs. It grows in the form of a bush, which is up to 8m high. The plant is deciduous and the crown is dense. The bark is smooth and gray. The leaves are large from  6 to 12 cm, whole, rounded, with a jagged edge. The upper side is darker than the lower, the veins are surrounded with tiny hairs. We plant it from November to April and we harvest them  in August and September.

Growth conditions and habitatThe plant is very adaptable and widespread in different climates. In nature, it is found most often along the forest edges. It needs a lot of water, which is also linked to the production of its wood - the largest production areas are alongside rich water resources. The most suitable areas are covered with much rainfall, mild winters and hot summers,but it can grow even in harsher conditions.The flowering starts in early spring, usually between February and March. During winter resting, the flowers can withstand to -18 °C and the plant can withstand up to -30°C . For planting, southern sunny slopes are the most suitable, where there is no fog or cold air. The soil should be deep, medium heavy, sandy loam and with at least 2 % organic matter. It needs lots of moisture from June to the end of August, that is, until the end of intensive growth of fruits and cores. The fruits mature at the end of the summer or the beginning of Autumn.

Culinary use
The hazelnuts are mainly used for preparing desserts, but less for table use. We also divide the varieties into consumer and industrial ones.

Istrian long-haired hazel: This variety is of medium-high growth, produces lots of fruits, which are as large as 20-24 mm, slightly oblong in form, the harvest  from 39 to 43% and the shell is smooth and thin.

Istrian hazelnut honey: This variety is of medium-lush growth, produces a medium quantity of fruit, which is 18 - 22 mm in size.The shaped fruit is rounded, harvest is 42-45 %and a thin skin.

The fruits are a rich source of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamin B6.

Franci Štampar in sodelavci: Sadjarstvo. Kmečki glas, Ljubljana, 2009
https://www.gozd-les.com/slovenski-gozdovi/grmovnice/les