As Late Winter Light Returns, Hazelnut Catkins Hang Like Little Tassels, And The Garden Feels As If It’s Stirring Again.

Early Catkins And Gentle Spring Lift

Hazelnut and filbert trees (Corylus) have a lovely way of starting the year before most plants have even thought about it. In late winter, long catkins appear on bare branches, moving in the breeze like soft tassels and bringing life to an otherwise quiet garden. They’re not showy in the way blossom trees are, but they’re full of atmosphere — especially against low winter light. Those catkins also mark the beginning of the tree’s growing year, and the whole plant feels quietly purposeful from the very start.

  • Early Catkins And Gentle Spring Lift
  • A Reliable Harvest That Feels Homemade
  • Easy Structure And Brilliant Garden Usefulness

Hazelnuts at a Glance:

Common name: Hazelnut / Filbert.

Latin name: Corylus (commonly Corylus avellana and Corylus maxima types and cultivars).

Size in UK gardens: Often 3–5m tall and wide if left to grow naturally; easy to keep smaller with pruning.

Best position: Full sun or light shade in an open but reasonably sheltered spot.

Soil: Moist but well-drained, fertile soil is ideal; tolerant once established if not waterlogged or bone-dry for long periods.

Main interest: Winter catkins, summer foliage, and edible nuts in early autumn.

Hardiness: Very hardy in most UK gardens.

Care level: Low to moderate – generally easy, with best crops needing sensible pollination and a little protection from wildlife.
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Grown Locally By Us.

Rather than travelling halfway across Europe, our mimosa trees are grown on site by the Simpson’s team. They’re toughened to local conditions, properly potted, and ready to get growing the moment you plant them.

Hazelnuts Care at a Glance:

Planting time: As container-grown plants, hazelnuts can be planted in most months when the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged; spring and early autumn are usually easiest for establishment.

Watering: Water well in the first 1–2 seasons, especially in dry spells; established plants are fairly resilient but crop better with occasional deep watering in drought.

Feeding: A spring mulch of compost or well-rotted manure is usually enough to keep growth steady and healthy.

Pruning: Light annual thinning keeps plants open, productive, and easy to harvest; they respond well to simple, steady pruning.

Winter: Usually fine without protection once established; shelter and mulch help in very exposed spots.

Varieties We Usually Stock

Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.

Acer campestre

Acer campestre 'Elsrijk'

Acer campestre 'Queen Elizabeth'

Acer campestre 'Carnival'

Frequently Asked Questions

Hazelnuts are wind-pollinated, and while some plants will produce a few nuts on their own, cropping is usually far better with a second compatible variety nearby. In a typical UK garden, planting two different hazels within a few metres of each other helps pollen travel and improves nut set. You don’t need a whole orchard — just a second plant in the same garden (or even a neighbour’s hazel close by) can make a big difference. If you’re short on space, choosing two compact varieties and keeping them lightly pruned is often the simplest route to a more reliable harvest.

Left to their own devices, many hazels become sizeable shrubs, often around 3–5 metres tall and wide over time, with a naturally spreading, multi-stem habit. The good news is that they respond beautifully to pruning, so you can keep them smaller and more contained without harming the plant. If you’d like a tidier look, you can train one into a small tree form by choosing a few main stems and removing lower growth. For most gardens, a little annual thinning is enough to keep the plant productive, airy, and within its space.

You can grow a hazel in a very large container for a few years, and some compact varieties will tolerate it better than others, but long-term they’re happiest in the ground. In pots, the main challenge is watering and feeding — containers dry out quickly and nutrients wash through faster, which can reduce cropping and vigour. For small gardens, a better approach is often to plant in the ground and prune for size, keeping the plant open and easy to harvest. Done that way, hazelnuts can be surprisingly workable even in modest spaces.

Squirrels are often the biggest “pest” with hazelnuts, especially once they learn a tree is there. The most reliable approach is timing: start checking nuts as they begin to ripen and pick them as soon as they’re ready, rather than waiting for everything to drop. Some gardeners use protective mesh bags over clusters, or netting over the whole shrub if it’s small enough to manage. Keeping the plant open with pruning also helps you see what’s happening. In many gardens it becomes a gentle race — but with regular picking, you can usually keep a decent share for yourself.