Tuesday 1 May 2012

Wimbledon tree of the month. April

Corylus maxima Purpurea  (Common name Filbert)

I've been waiting for a couple of weeks to take some shots of this multi stemmed hazel on a sunny day. But it never happened - so my tree of the month for April, scrapes into May!
Standing in the front garden of a house on Coombe Lane, just opposite the junction of Cambridge Road. This purple hazel is especially eye catching at this time of year, when the foliage has newly emerged. The colour is just slightly more rich and intense. The typical multi stemmed tree creates an elegant goblet shape which works perfectly in this position, at the side of the driveway.
The Purple Hazel, Corylus maxima Purpurea, is a variety of Filbert hazel. This ornamental tree is also produces large, nuts with a pretty, wine-purple tinge inside them. It is very hardy and suitable for any soil, although it is not quite as good in the shade. Purple Hazel is a good hedging plant, and can reach about 10 metres if it grows freely as a tree. The great thing about these trees, is they are happy being pruned to keep them in a size and shape which works with your space. The Purple Hazel has won an RHS Award of Garden Merit for being easy to grow and lovely to look at.



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