I planted a hazel tree in my garden in February. Corylus avellana is its botanical name, and every garden should have one. I already have several hazels in a garden hedge, but I wanted to give this particular bushy tree a bit of space to grow. Every year I spot hazel seedlings growing in the flower borders along with holly, yew, and hawthorn. In some cases, I grow them on to fill gaps in the hedge or pot them up to give to family and friends. Thanks to the birds and squirrels I have the benefit of a new tree crop each year.
Each tree has its benefits, but for me, the hazel is the gardener’s main provider. Certainly, it’s a valuable plant for a large variety of beneficial insects and birds. The Woodland Trust says that “today, hazel coppice has become an important management strategy in the conservation of woodland habitats for wildlife.” In addition, “the resulting timber is used in lots of ways and is becoming increasingly popular as pea sticks, and bean poles used by gardeners.” For me, and back to my great-grandfather’s time, it was always so.
Early in the new year I would dig an open trench, about a foot deep, and toss into it the stalks of cabbages and Brussels sprouts. Towards late spring I would add old newspapers, wet them through, and then fill in the trench. A line of coppiced hazel poles would then be fixed along the line of the trench awaiting the sowing of runner bean seed or the planting of plants after the threat of frost had passed. Unlike slippery bamboo canes imported from China, the hazel poles provide a rough surface for the beans to climb up, thereby reducing the need to fasten them to the poles. If cared for hazel poles can last for two, three, or more years and can be supplemented each year with new poles coppiced from that hazel tree you are now going to plant in a corner of your garden!
If you need further encouragement hazel also provides a good crop of pea sticks, and hedging stakes and can be used to make hurdles and fencing. Hazelnut shells have been found in prehistoric peat created 3,750 years ago, so I think it’s safe to assume that hazel is an indigenous species. Squirrels might beat you to the hazelnuts but think of the benefits you will enjoy from your hazel tree.
