Spike winter hazel

Spike winter hazel: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Broad, open shrub with finely branched, spreading stems, eventually 2 m tall and 2–2.5 m wide.

Foliage

Oval to rounded, 5–10 cm, with a toothed edge and prominent veins, like hazel; blue-green beneath, yellow in autumn.

Flower

Hanging clusters of 3–5 cm of small, pale yellow bells, in March–April, before the leaves emerge.

Scent

Soft and sweet, best enjoyed close up.

Roots

Fine and fairly shallow: it likes a cool, moist root run.

Flowering: March–April · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: April

Why grow it?

• One of the first shrubs to flower: fragrant yellow tassels on bare branches in March.
• An early source of food for bees and bumblebees.
• An open, graceful outline that never looks heavy, even in a smaller garden.
• Fresh foliage that turns yellow in autumn.
• Combines beautifully with spring bulbs and shade-loving plants.

Spike winter hazel: where does it grow best?

• Partial or light shade is ideal; sun only if the soil stays moist.
• Humus-rich, acid to neutral soil: sand, loam or peat. On chalky soil the leaves turn yellow.
• Normally moist: the soil must not dry out in summer.
• Sheltered from cold winds and preferably out of early morning sun: the flowers then suffer less from night frost.
• Allow 2–2.5 m of space and plant it where you can see it up close, beside a path or near the patio.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or peat

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

2 m tall, 2.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Lenten rose: Flowers at the same time at its feet, in white, pink or purple.
• Lungwort: Blue and pink flowers and spotted leaves in the same partial shade.
• Daffodil: Yellow or white daffodils flowering at the same time.
• Rhododendron: Likes the same acid, humus-rich soil and flowers just afterwards.
• Barrenwort: Fine foliage and small flowers in April beneath the shrub.

Spike winter hazel: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November, when the soil is not frozen.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in leaf mould or peat-free ericaceous compost.
3. Set the shrub at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Keep 2–2.5 m away from other shrubs.
5. Water in thoroughly straight away, ideally with rainwater, then during dry spells in the first year.
6. Mulch with leaf mould, composted bark or pine needles.

Care

Watering

During dry spells, especially in the first few years; use rainwater where possible.

Feeding

In March–April, some compost or an organic fertiliser for acid-loving plants.

Mulching

Leaf mould or composted bark every spring keeps the soil cool, moist and slightly acid.

Shape

Let it keep its natural shape: it needs little pruning.

Tip: Plant it in front of a dark backdrop of evergreen shrubs: the pale yellow tassels will glow even more in March.

Spike winter hazel: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April.

When: Little is needed. If necessary, prune in April, straight after flowering.

How:

• Remove dead, damaged and crossing branches.
• On an old, congested shrub, take out a few of the oldest stems at the base every few years.
• Do not shorten all the branches: it would lose its graceful shape and next year’s flowers.

Caution: Do not prune in winter: the flower buds are already on the branches by then.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Softwood cuttings

In June: 8–10 cm cuttings of young shoots, in moist cutting compost under plastic. They root within a few weeks; keep them frost-free during their first winter.

Layering

In spring, bend a low branch to the ground, peg it down under some soil and sever it after a year.

Spike winter hazel: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C: the shrub itself needs no protection in Belgium.
• Late night frost can turn open flowers brown; if hard frost threatens during flowering, cover a young shrub with fleece.
• In a pot: wrap the pot in hessian in severe winters and keep it in a sheltered spot.

Diseases and pests

• Yellow leaves: Chlorosis caused by chalky soil or hard tap water. Water with rainwater, mulch with pine needles or move it to more acid soil.
• Frosted flowers: Brown flowers after a night frost. Choose a sheltered spot without early morning sun.
• Scorched leaves: Brown leaf edges in a dry, sunny summer. Water and mulch, or move it to a cooler spot.
• Few flowers: In young plants or in deep shade. Give it a little more light and some patience: flowering increases over the years.

Through the year

• February: The flower buds swell. Keep fleece at hand for late frost.
• March: In flower on bare branches. Plant.
• April: Last flowers. Prune lightly after flowering. Mulch.
• May: The new leaves unfold.
• June: Take softwood cuttings.
• July: Water in dry spells, ideally with rainwater.
• August: Water in dry spells.
• October: Yellow autumn colour. Plant.
• November: Plant. Leaf mould around the base.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Corylopsis means ‘resembling Corylus’, the hazel, because of the shape of the leaves.
• It belongs to the witch hazel family, whose members also flower on bare branches in winter or early spring.
• In this species the anthers in the little flowers are purplish red, a fine contrast with the pale yellow.