Hazel Hedge

Corylus avellana

Hazel (Corylus avellana) is a fast-growing native hedge with soft, rounded leaves, yellow catkins in late winter and nuts in autumn.

It is thornless, copes with part shade and clay, and is one of the best plants for wildlife. Choose bare root from November to March for the best value, or pot grown up to 150cm to plant at any time of year.

Compare hazel sizes and cost per metre.

Native and thornless
Fast growing
Catkins and nuts for wildlife
Bare root from £1.20

Growth Rate Medium 20-40cm per year

Overall Height Medium up to 5 metres

Plant Position Exposed, Full Shade, Full Sun, Sheltered

Root Types Pot Grown, Bare Root

Choose your plants

Hazel Hedge Root Types

Choose from our range of Hazel Hedge sizes and root types below.

Bare Root Best value · Dormant season From £1.20 per plant
Pot Grown Flexible · Available year-round From £7.95 per plant

Selected root type

Bare root Hazel hedging

From £1.20 per plant 4 heights in stock

By far the most cost effective and environmentally friendly way to plant a new hedge, bare root hedging is normally available between November and April. No need for plastic pots, these plants are extra-kind to the environment

Planting window

Availability

In Season
Pre Order
Out Of Season

Step 2

Choose your height

Pick a height to see the relevant single-plant and bulk-buy options.

Available height

40-60cm

Bare Root options

Bare Root
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £200
Box delivery
£1.20
£1.20 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

6 plants per metre recommended

Available height

60-90cm

Bare Root options

Bare Root
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £200
Box delivery
£1.50
£1.50 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

5 plants per metre recommended

Available height

90-120cm

Bare Root options

Bare Root
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £300
Large box delivery
£2.80
£2.80 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

5 plants per metre recommended

Available height

120-150cm

Bare Root options

Bare Root
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £300
Large box delivery
£4.75
£4.75 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

4 plants per metre recommended

Choosing your hazel plants

Bare-root plants are the cheapest way to plant a hazel hedge; pot-grown plants can go in at any time of year.

Root type	Size	Plants per metre	When
Bare root	40–60cm	6	November to March
Bare root	60–90cm	5	November to March
Bare root	90–120cm	5	November to March
Bare root	120–150cm	4	November to March
Pot grown	40–60cm	4	All year
Pot grown	60–90cm	4	All year
Pot grown	90–120cm	4	All year
Pot grown	125–150cm	3	All year

Plant a double staggered row for a field boundary or a thicker base, and double the quantities.

Why plant a hazel hedge?

A natural, wildlife-rich hedge

Hazel catkins are an early source of pollen for bees, the leaves feed many moth caterpillars, and the nuts feed squirrels, dormice, jays and woodpeckers. It is a backbone plant of traditional British hedgerows.

Thornless and fast

With no thorns, hazel is ideal beside paths, play areas and drives. It grows quickly, typically 40–60cm a year once established, and soon makes a hedge of 1.5–4m.

Hazel compared with other native hedges

	Hazel	Hawthorn	Field Maple
Thorns	None	Sharp	None
Look	Loose, large soft leaves	Dense and twiggy	Dense, small lobed leaves
Interest	Catkins and nuts	May blossom and red haws	Butter-yellow autumn colour
Best for	Informal and wildlife hedges	Stock-proof boundaries	A neater native hedge

Hazel is also in all our native hedge mixes, or see all our hazel hedging.

Choosing the right hedge

Is a hazel hedge right for you?

A great choice if you want:

A native, wildlife-friendly hedge
A thornless hedge by paths or play areas
Part shade or a woodland edge
Clay or chalky soil
A fast, low-cost hedge planted bare root

Consider another hedge if:

You need year-round privacy (it is deciduous)
You want a crisp, formal clipped hedge
You need to keep livestock in on its own
The ground stays waterlogged

Compare hazel sizes

Buying help

Buying FAQs

What size hazel should I buy?

For most hedges, bare-root 60–90cm plants are the best value: they cost little more than 40–60cm and establish quickly. Choose 90–150cm for more height straight away, or pot-grown plants if you are planting between April and October.

How many hazel plants do I need per metre?

In a single row, plant bare-root 40–60cm hazel at 6 per metre, 60–120cm at 5 per metre and 120–150cm at 4 per metre. Pot-grown plants go in at 4 per metre, or 3 for 125–150cm. The calculator on this page works out the total from your hedge length.

When is bare-root hazel delivered?

Bare-root hazel is lifted from our fields while dormant and delivered from November to March. You can order now and we dispatch when the season's stock is ready.

Should I plant a single or double row?

A single row is fine for most garden hedges. For a field boundary, a wildlife hedge or a thicker base, plant a double staggered row about 40cm apart and double the quantities.

Does hazel keep its leaves in winter?

No. Hazel is deciduous, so it is bare from late autumn until spring, when the yellow catkins appear before the leaves. For year-round screening, mix it with Holly or choose an evergreen.

Is hazel suitable near horses and livestock?

Hazel is thornless and is one of the plants in our Horse Safe Hedging Mix. On its own it will not keep livestock in; pair it with Hawthorn or a fence for a stock-proof boundary.

Helpful guides

More help with hazel

Hazel hedge care & growing guide Hazel sizes and cost per metre Native hedge mixes

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Hazel Hedge