What is a filbert?

We are asked often if a hazelnut is the same as a filbert.  The short answer is yes!  "'Filbert' is the correct name for the tree and the nut.  The name is of French origin, and filbert trees were likely first introduced to Oregon by early French settlers..."Hazelnut" is the name coined by the English and applied to the native species by the early settlers.  In 1981, the Oregon Filbert Commission decided to conform to the common standard and began emphasizing the "hazelnut"."

Filbert Fun Facts:

-The Hazelnut became Oregon's official nut in 1989

-About 1,000 Oregon farm families grow hazelnuts on over 87,000 acres

-Hazelnut trees can produce until over 100 years of age

-in 1858, the first cultured hazelnut tree was planted in Oregon by retired Hudson's Bay Company employee, Sam Strictland

-Oregon hazelnuts represent 99% of the U.S. crop

          *Fun facts courtesy of Oregon Hazelnuts