Hazel
Corylus avellana
Coppice on a 7–10 year cycle for an endless supply of beanpoles, pea sticks and woodchip, as well as the nuts (if you beat the squirrels).
Corylus avellana, the common hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the birch family Betulaceae. The shrubs usually grow 3–8 metres tall. The nut is round, in contrast to the longer filbert nut. Common hazel is native to Europe and Western Asia.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
At a glance
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Water need
- Low
- Mature height
- 4 m
- Maintenance
- Low
- Hardiness
- USDA 4–8
- Layers
- understory, shrub
Functional roles
Pollination & soil
Wind-pollinated but largely self-incompatible; plant two or more different varieties.
- Soil
- light/sandy, medium/loam
- pH
- Neutral, Alkaline
Tolerant; happy on chalk and in part shade.
Propagation
How to make more of this plant for free — the permaculture way.
When: Layer in autumn; lift suckers when dormant
Coppices well; tolerates partial shade. Squirrels take nuts.
Where to get it
Read more
Seed data pending expert review. Identification photo and description are sourced from Wikipedia/Wikimedia; always confirm a plant in person before eating any part of it.