Hazelnut tree

Scientific name: Corylus avellana
Common name: Common hazel
 

It is part of the Corylaceae family. The hazel is an often shrubby tree with deciduous leaves, about 6-7 meters tall. The crown is bright green and the trunk branched from the base. The leaves are about 9-12 cm large with a heart-shaped base and pointed apex. The male inflorescences are grouped in pendulous catkins that change color, first pinkish and then yellow. The female flowers, on the other hand, are similar to small buds. The fruits are nuts, usually clustered in small clumps.

In the past, the hazel was considered a symbol of healing, wisdom and communication. The messenger of the gods, Hermes, kept with him a hazel stick called a "caduceus." Later this stick in the hands of Asclepius, became coiled with two snakes and to this day represents the symbol of medicine. For the Celts, too, this plant represents the tree of knowledge, enhancing sensory activities, leading to such clarity and mental presence as to make magic formulas work: in fact, its wood was used to make magic wands but also those of dowsers. This tree was also a symbol of fertility and abundance, and its leaves were fed to animals to increase their fertility.

The kernel, besides being a plant used for food purposes, has many benefits. A symbol of wisdom and communication, it is used for lung and liver wellness. In herbal medicine it is used as a depurative, febrifuge, anti-inflammatory, and astringent. Its gemmoderivative gives elasticity to the lung and liver tissues and is therefore indicated in cases of asthma, bronchitis, liver failure and to restore the health of these organs.