Hazelnut plants
There is nothing better than unwrapping freshly roasted, crunchy and fragrant hazelnuts after they’ve been gently roasted over an open fire or on the stove. These sweet-tasting and highly nutritious nuts have been grown for hundreds of years and make a delightful addition to any orchid or kitchen garden. Hazelnuts are the fruits of Corylus (hazel) trees and bushes – more specifically, cobnuts are from Corylus avellana bushes and filberts are from Corylus maxima plants. All types of hazelnut plants produce beautiful, dangling, pale golden-yellow catkins from late winter to early spring. These are the male parts of the plant which contain pollen that fertilises the female flowers to produce the crop. Hazelnut plants grow best in full sun or light shade in a sheltered spot, avoiding frost pockets. They are self-fertile so can be grown standalone but tend to be wind pollinated more reliably when grown in small groups. They’re grown on their own rootstock, so you don’t need to worry about rootstock selection. Tip prune sideshoots annually to create a well balanced framework.