Tree - Hazel
This tree is not a standard hazel. We call it a wiggly hazel! The official term is "contorta". There is a wiggly willow as well, but I don't have one of those. These were originally "sports" or one-off genetic variants. I think that the original wiggly hazel was dicovered in a hedgerow. They get propagated by grafting (see apple).
This tree is really are wiggly, not only the branches but also the trunk, and even the leaves! It means that the tree is slower growing than a normal hazel. It does still need pruning. The second photo shows the branches getting long, and they need to be trimmed back. We have also sawed off the main trunk, and one of the larger branches (at different times) to keep the tree small, and stop it growing all other the path.
The other type of pruning comes from the fact that it's a grafted tree. The root stock is a normal hazel. Various shoots grow up from the root, and these are normal, unwiggly, hazel. They are called suckers, and need to be cut off, or they will take energy from the main tree. In fact, they are useful, being straight, long, twigs, and very useful for pea supports, or marking the ends of seed rows.
This tree probably looks best in winter, when there isn't much else to look at, because you can see the wiggliness of the branches. You can also see the catkins. We have managed to get a hazel nut or two from the tree in the past, but not any more. Local squirels now know about the tree!
Click on photos for large version.
© Jo Edkins 2021 - Return to Garden index