Corylus avellana

Why we love it

Corylus avellana is one of the first trees to signal the end of winter. In February and March its bare branches are hung with long, pale yellow catkins, the familiar lambs' tails, which sway in the breeze and shed clouds of pollen. Look closely and you will spot the tiny crimson female flowers too. Through summer the soft, rounded leaves make a fresh green canopy, and in autumn the tree offers hazelnuts and butter yellow foliage.

Hazel grows naturally as a multi-stem, with many slender, smooth, coppery-brown stems rising from the base, so this form shows off its true character. It is tough, native and full of wildlife value, and it brings a gentle, countryside feel to any garden. Garden designers use it to soften boundaries and bring natural, woodland charm into both rural and town settings.

Choosing a size

Multi-stem trees are sold by height and by spread. Hazel establishes quickly, so a younger tree soon fills out, while a larger specimen gives an instant, mature effect with plenty of stems. Look for an even spread of stems and a balanced shape, and come and choose by eye at the nursery if you can.

How to use it

Plant hazel as a feature in a wildlife garden, along a boundary as an informal screen, or in a group to create a small woodland. It is a perfect partner for hawthorn, field maple and wild cherry, and makes a lovely canopy over primroses, bluebells, snowdrops, ferns and foxgloves. Coppiced regularly, it also provides useful bean poles and pea sticks for the vegetable garden.

Planting

Plant root-balled trees between November and March, and pot-grown trees at any time of year with regular watering. Dig a hole two to three times as wide as the root ball and no deeper, set the tree level with the soil and stake it if it is in an exposed spot. Water well after planting and mulch with peat-free compost or bark.

Looking after it

Water during dry spells for the first two summers. Hazel is very low maintenance: thin out the oldest stems at the base in winter or very early spring to keep it vigorous and open, or coppice the whole plant every few years to rejuvenate it. It grows happily in most soils, including chalk and clay, in sun or partial shade.

Can you coppice a hazel tree?

Yes, hazel is one of the best trees for coppicing. Cutting all the stems close to the ground in winter, every five to ten years, encourages a flush of strong, straight new shoots in spring and keeps the plant youthful and healthy. Coppiced hazel can live for centuries, and the cut stems are ideal for plant supports and weaving.