Plant of the month: March

Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ @ Harlow Carr

To get to the first - leave the entrance and turn right. Follow the main path and keep following it until you come to the alpine display house. Go past the alpine display house. There is a gravel path to your left following a yew hedge. Go down the path and take the first right hand turn (not long only 20-30ft). You should now be on a grassed area with beds all around it. The Corylus avellana 'Contorta' is in the bed to your right (Bed numbers NA0102 and NA04). The second is nearby, a little further south.

Corylus

This genus contains 10-15 species of deciduous trees and shrubs from woodlands in northern temperate regions. The name Corylus is the Greek name for hazel.

Hazels are grown for their broad-leaved foliage, their yellow, male catkins and, in some species, the edible nuts. The female catkins display little tufts of bright red stigmas.

They do well in almost any garden soil, and are excellent on chalk. They can be used in informal gardens, as hedges or screens, in wildflower and wildlife gardens. Some have architectural properties.

Corylus avellana

This is a large, spreading, deciduous shrub or small tree, reaching a height and spread of 8m (24ft) in 10-20 years.

Its rounded leaves turn yellow in autumn and it has yellow, male catkins in early spring, followed by edible nuts in autumn.

Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’

This cultivar is a large shrub with twisted branches that are much prized by flower arrangers, particularly for winter arrangements.

The pendant, yellow catkins are produced in late winter and early spring. The leaves are broadly ovate.

AGM

The RHS Floral B Committee awarded Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ an Award of Garden Merit and described it as: Large rounded deciduous shrub with much-twisted branches and broad leaves. Flowers in drooping, pale yellow catkins to 6cm long on the bare twigs.

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade.

Pruning requirements are minimal. Remove diseased, damaged or crossing shoots, and those growing in unwanted directions. Do this in late winter or early spring.

Caterpillars, gall mites, aphids and sawflies may cause problems and squirrels may eat the nuts.

Propagation

By grafting.