The Hazel Tree (latin name - Corylus avellana)
Hazel can grow to a height of 10 metres, & is a useful component of a garden hedge.
Hazel produces multiple stems from the base of the tree, giving it a dense, spreading appearance. The production of multiple stems by Hazel has led to its extensive use for coppicing. Coppicing is a system of cutting the stems of the tree back to ground level every few years. This provides a crop of supple timber, used for hurdles, fencing & bean poles, and it also encourages the tree to produce several new, straight stems.
The densely-branching habit of Hazel is an important feature of woodland, which is important for bird diversity. Hazel leaves are eaten by roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), and the nuts are eaten by the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris), grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major). Hazel is an important tree for the dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). There are several insects which feed on Hazel, including moths, beetles, weevils and some flies.
hazel tree
[…] and sticks - hazel or sweet chestnut look natural, & can be obtained from Woodland trusts or working […]
Pingback by Top Veg » Blog Archive » Bean Supports, Poles or Sticks. - July 11, 2007 9:38 am
[…] hazel sticks cut from our own stock. The hazel benefits from this ‘coppicing’, as it readily produces more shoots to replace those cut. To find long, straight hazel poles, we had to venture into the heart of the wood, where the tree canopy was dense, and the hazel was pushing up tall, strong shoots to find the light. […]
Pingback by Top Veg » Blog Archive » Ten Steps for Planting Out Runner / Stick Bean Plants - July 2, 2008 6:30 am