tree of the month Belfast Botanic Gardens

Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens

Tree of the month series - this series of short articles about trees in the Belfast Botanic Gardens is compiled by members of the Friends group and Gardens staff. We aim to build up to a comprehensive archive of trees in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Each article will illustrate a tree growing in Belfast Botanic Gardens together with information from a range of sources.

Click here to view the tree archive

Tree of the Month, December 2009

Turkish hazel

Corylus colurna

Reg Maxwell and Jon Pilcher

The Turkish hazel is native to SE Europe and Asia Minor and was introduced into cultivation in 1582. It is a much larger tree than our native hazel (Corylus avellana) usually having a single straight trunk and a rather tidy symmetrical shape. The leaves are quite similar to the native hazel, but more lobed and shinier. The nuts are also similar, but are contained in a distinctive frilly, bristly cup. The two specimens in Belfast Botanic Gardens either side of the entrance from the herbaceous border to the rose garden were planted in 1974. One is the conical shape typical of the species, the other has a more flattened profile.


Turkish hazel in Belfast Botanic Gardens, autumn	Turkish hazel, leaf

Turkish hazel, bark	Turkish hazel, developing male catkins in autumn

Turkish hazel, nut and husk	Turkish hazel, nut and husk