Hard-wearing on the outside, hazel is very suitable for braided or picket fences

I ended up reading about hazel because someone recently asked me how best to finish such a fence. Knowing that hazel is more of a shrub and that it quite rarely grows to diameters that would allow wide boards to be cut, I started reading everything I could find about hazel, hazel wood and its uses. I have compiled all the information below.

Hazel - Corylus Avellana

Corylus Avellana, common hazel or European hazel, in English) is spread all over Europe, from Norway to Italy and from Spain to the Urals, except Iceland and a few Mediterranean islands. It is prized primarily for its hazelnuts and is therefore cultivated all over the world. In Europe, large crops of hazelnuts can be found in Spain, Italy and Turkey. The hazelnut prefers moderate climates with high temperatures during the growing season, but can withstand temperatures as low as -15°C. Turkey offers optimal growing conditions with an average annual temperature of 13-16°C and moderate rainfall.

The hazel is usually a shrub that can reach 4-8 m in height, sometimes even over 10 m. The stem is branched, and branching can start right at ground level. The bark is gray with large white spots, smooth and fine in young shrubs but thick and wrinkled as it grows. The leaves are round and slightly elongate towards the tip, with a serrated edge and fine hairs on the back. The catkin-like flowers appear early in spring before the leaves. The fruit is hard, roughly spherical, nut-shaped, yellow-brown with a lighter-colored area at the base.

Hazel grows in deciduous forests. Average lifespan is 80-100 years. It can propagate both by seeds and shoots. It sprouts quickly and spreads very quickly, especially after fires.

Characteristics of hazel wood

Hazelnut wood is reddish white and belongs to the foioase. It is not hard, however, and is easy to carve. The thin stems are very elastic and easy to bend and even knot. It is a very good firewood, burns quickly and without sparks and gives off heat. It burns well even when not dry. It is externally resistant and durable.

Hazel has a property that allows it to 'make' straight, tall stems that are very suitable for fences. As a shrub, it has several stems that grow from a common trunk. If some of the stems are cut above the ground, shoots will emerge from the trunk and grow straighter, more vigorous and taller. The operation can be repeated and a hazelnut can live for hundreds of years.

Uses

The main use of the hazelnut is its fruit, rich in oils and vitamins. But hazelnut wood can also be used in different areas. One where it is used because of its good outdoor resistance is manufacture of fences. They can be made of plaited wicker, of hewn stakes driven into the ground and bound together with wire, or of small planks similarly bound together with wire. In order to increase their outdoor resistance, the poles and planks must be treated with outdoor products. It is also used to make peacocks for vine, hop or vegetable gardens.

Thanks to its high elasticity, hazelnut wood walking sticks, bows, bows, hoops, rings for basketball hoops or for barrels, baskets and woven furniture. It is used to get small pieces of decoration or pto carve spoons or small objects.

Besides use as firewoodby burning alum wood very good coal is obtained from which gunpowder and pencil leads.

Hazel and myths

The hazel is found in popular myths throughout Europe and is also mentioned in literary works. In the Grimm's fairy tales, hazel branches are said to be the greatest protection against snakes and other creatures living in the ground. The same belief is found in Romanian folklore.

The Celts and Druids believed that peanuts were a source of wisdom and the tree itself was sacred. The Celts also believed it was a symbol of fertility. In Greek mythology hazel branches were woven into helmets and worn to protect warriors from evil. Irish folk belief says you can develop prophetic powers if you drink a special drink made from hazelnuts.

Hazel has long been associated with water because it grows best in moist soil. Hazel sticks are still used in many countries to find springs or water sources.

I hope you find the information interesting. If you have any additions, questions or clarifications, please leave them below in the dedicated space. I will certainly reply.