Somerset Filbert is a hybrid hazelnut tree that brings serious productivity to eastern and midwestern gardens. Developed at Rutgers University specifically for regions plagued by Eastern Filbert Blight, this cultivar has earned its reputation as "the crazy productive one" among orchardists and backyard growers alike. Growing to a mature height of 15 feet, it thrives in hardiness zones 6 through 9 and demands full sun and moderate water to perform at its best. With early September blooms and exceptional disease resistance, Somerset offers the rare combination of reliable harvests and minimal maintenance.
Full Sun
Moderate
6-9
180in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
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Somerset Filbert stands as a Rutgers University breeding success story, engineered specifically to handle the Eastern Filbert Blight pressure that has devastated hazelnut production across the eastern and midwestern United States. The cultivar's reputation for exceptional productivity makes it a workhorse tree that doesn't require babying. Its ease of care and robust disease resistance mean you spend more time harvesting nuts and less time troubleshooting problems. This is a hazelnut bred by people who understand the real challenges home growers face in humid climates where fungal pressure runs high.
Somerset Filbert produces hazelnuts suitable for fresh eating and culinary use, though specific flavor profiles and preparations are not detailed in available sources. The nuts are grown for their productivity and commercial potential, making this cultivar valuable for orchardists and home growers looking to establish hazelnut production in eastern and midwestern climates.
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“Somerset Filbert emerged from Rutgers University's hazelnut breeding program, created in direct response to the Eastern Filbert Blight epidemic that threatened commercial and home hazelnut production across the eastern United States. The tree is a hybrid cross between Corylus avellana and Corylus americana, combining the superior nut quality of the European filbert with the disease resistance genetics of native American hazelnuts. Its development represents a deliberate effort to restore hazelnut growing viability in regions where the disease had made cultivation nearly impossible, and it has rapidly gained adoption among orchardists seeking dependable production without reliance on heavy fungicide programs.”