𝐇𝐀𝐙𝐄𝐋 (𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐩)

Hazel quickly followed the birches in establishing themselves and recolonising Britain after the last ice age. However, they cannot tolerate deep shade and cannot grow tall enough to reach the light (growing up to a maximum of 30 feet), therefore they are likely to be one of the first species you see on the edge of deciduous woodland.

The flowers of Hazel are incomplete, to make up for that, the tree is monoecious, so it has both the male and female flower on the same plant. This differs from plants such as holly where the male flowers are on one individual and the female flowers on a different individual.

The flowers are wind pollinated and without petals. The tiny female flower is enclosed in a series of bracts (photo above) and shows only the stigmas, which are reddish. The male flowers are a bit more obvious as they are catkins, sometimes quite bulky, which dangle down and move in the wind.

They are often multi-stemmed and has been well used in cultivation for coppicing. Hazel famously grows quickly with straight branches that are often used as poles - particularly often for growing peas and beans.

Other uses of hazel include being employed as a 'nurse' species for more commercially valuable species such as walnuts (my breakfast) and cherry. This is due to the strong early growth of hazel, which provides shelter and shade for the main crop - the shade reducing the growth of brambles and other 'weed' species.

Quick to develop roots, layering in the winter is a common way to propagate new plants - however these will be clones and won't increase the gene pool.

The flowers themselves are wind pollinated. If intending to gain a crop, then two pollen-compatible hazel trees must be planted within an orchard or food forest setting, as they are not self-compatible.

While, hazel doesn't have many pests and diseases, the ones it does have seem to concentrate on foliage (deer and livestock) and nuts (grey squirrels / beetles / nut weevils). Protection along with clearing up fallen nuts is an effective way to control pests.