A beautiful large shrub grows 4-5 m high and 2-3 m wide. The male flowers are long attractive catkins, emerging before the leaves and the female flowers are small and red. Hazelnuts are a delicacy for humans and birds and are ripe in summer. Even though the shrub can be grown in part sun, it will produce more fruits in full sun and if a second shrub is present for cross-pollination. 
The leaves are very pretty throughout the growing season and turn yellow, orange and red in fall. 
Any well-drained soil of any moisture. It has an upright, rounded growth habit.
For more information, check out wildflower.org.