Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (Corkscrew Hazel)

Although my garden is only medium sized I have a habit of buying plants as if I had a much larger garden. As a result I have a lot of plants in containers. My two largest containers have been used to grow small trees, a Japanese Maple and a Corkscrew Hazel. While the Japanese Maple appears to be quite happy in its container, the Corkscrew Hazel seemed to be struggling so last October I made the decision to transplant it into the Woodland border at the bottom of the garden. Two dead hawthorn trees had been removed from this border so there was plenty of room for the Hazel to grow.
It is a slow growing tree with a shrubby habit which will eventually reach about 8 feet in height. Hopefully this will make a lovely feature tree for the winter as its stems twist and spiral as they grow, giving it the name of Corkscrew or Twisted Hazel. The sculptural stems are further enhanced by 2 inch long pale yellow catkins which appear in late winter/early spring. Hazels will grow in any well drained soil in sun and partial shade.
Propagation can be done by layering. This involves selecting a healthy side shoot which is one or two years old and bending it down to soil level, keeping the growing tip held upwards. The bent shoot can be secured in position by a U shaped pin or by stones. To encourage rooting an oblique cut should be made in the stem where it contacts the soil. A dusting of hormone rooting powder can be beneficial. The new plant can be severed from the parent plant when a decent root system has formed. This can take a year or two.