Corylus americana is a shrub with simple, alternate, toothed leaves and a very bushy form. The male flowers are arranged in elongate aments and the female flowers are in small groups within buds that are similar to the leaf-bearing buds. The fruit is a nut that develops between a pair of tough and bristly bracts. See also our other species of hazelnut in Wisconsin, Corylus cornuta, the beaked hazelnut.

Corylus cornuta is found throughout the state on sunny and often dry sites. It is well-adapted to fire and quickly resprouts following a fire.