Some facts about…  Hazel

Common Hazel Corylus avellana can grow up to 9m (30ft) tall if left uncut.

At this time of year the tree bears both male and female flowers on the previous season’s growth. You are probably very familar with the long, yellow catkins, which look like lamb’s tails as they twist and turn in the slightest breeze, spilling clouds of golden-yellow pollen; these are the male flowers.
However, you will have to take a much closer look at the branches to see the female flowers, tiny red buds with protruding tassels (you can just spot them on the branch to the right of the catkins in the picture). 

DID YOU KNOW

Hazel bear flowers that are wind pollinated, which is why the catkins appear before the leaves to improve the chances of a successful pollination. But about two and a half million grains of pollen have to be released for every single hazel nut that is produced.

The brown nuts, which appear in autumn, are about 2cm (¾ in) long, grow in clusters of up to four and each one is partly enclosed by a leafy husk. They are eaten by squirrels, voles and mice as well as nuthatches, jays and other birds.

Hazel has long been used by man, and it is one of the timbers cut by coppicing. Coppicing is a traditional form of woodland management which dates back to Neolithic times. The Hazel rods are cut back to ground level at regular intervals, usually between 7-12 years. This system not only provides a supply of useable timber, but also lengthens the life of the tree. By removing old wood above ground the roots produce vigorous new shoots, which grow from the cut stumps, known as ‘stools’.

The Hazel rods have many uses including housebuilding. In the Middle Ages panels of interwoven hazel formed the basis for ‘wattle and daub’ buildings. The hazel panels, known as ‘wattle’, were made and then placed between wooden posts. A mixture of mud and straw, ‘daub’, was then used to plaster or fill them in. Woven Hazel panels were also used as fencing panels,often as hurdles for sheep pens, and lengths were used to make baskets.    

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