Planting Hazel Trees for Coppicing and Wildlife

Why Hazel Belongs in Every British Garden and Smallholding

Hazel is a familiar sight in British hedgerows, woodlands and scrub. Its flexible stems, early catkins and tasty nuts make it a cornerstone of countryside living. But for the smallholder or gardener, hazel offers something more: a renewable crop. Plant it once, coppice it on a rotation, and you'll harvest wood for decades while creating a wildlife haven. Whether you have a few metres of boundary or a quarter-acre copse, hazel rewards you with bean poles, pea sticks, hurdles and kindling—all without replanting.

Choosing the Right Site and Planting Your Hazel

Hazel is adaptable but prefers a moist, well-drained loam. It tolerates partial shade but coppices best in full sun. Avoid waterlogged ground and heavy clay that bakes hard in summer. For a coppice plot, plant bare-root whips between November and March, spacing stools 2–3 metres apart. If you're planting a hedgerow, set them 30–45 cm apart in a double row. Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots, firm gently, and water well. Add a mulch of well-rotted manure or bark chips, but keep it clear of the stem. Protect young trees from rabbits and deer with spiral guards or a mesh fence. A handful of mycorrhizal fungi in the planting hole helps establishment—an old trick that works.

The Art of Coppicing: When and How to Cut

Coppicing is the ancient practice of cutting stems close to the ground to stimulate new growth. Hazel is a natural at this, producing vigorous multi-stemmed stools. The first cut should be after planting, leaving a stool about 15 cm high. Thereafter, cut on a rotation. For bean poles and pea sticks, a 7–10 year cycle gives long, straight rods. For finer craft work like basket weaving, cut every 3–5 years. Always coppice in winter when the sap is down, from late November to early March. Use a sharp billhook or pruning saw. Follow these steps for a healthy stool:

• Make angled cuts just above a bud or previous cut, sloping away from the centre to shed water.
• Never cut below the previous cut—this damages the stool.
• Leave a few stems to grow taller as standards if you want nuts and catkins for wildlife.
• Clear brash and stack it nearby for habitat, or use it as kindling.

A healthy stool can live for centuries.

Wildlife Benefits of a Coppiced Hazel

A coppiced hazel is a wildlife magnet. The dense, bushy regrowth provides nesting cover for blackbirds, robins and wrens. Early catkins, appearing from January, are a vital pollen source for bees and hoverflies when little else is in flower. In autumn, hazelnuts feed dormice, squirrels, jays and wood mice. The leaves support the caterpillars of several moths, including the nut-tree tussock and the pale November moth. Rotting wood at the base of old stools attracts beetles and fungi. If you leave some stools uncut for longer, you create varied structure—exactly what a hedgerow or copse needs. Even the cut brash can be piled into a habitat stack for hedgehogs and amphibians.

Harvesting and Using Hazel Wood

After cutting, sort your rods by size. Straight, long stems become bean poles, runner bean supports or thatching spars. Medium rods make plant stakes, tool handles or walking sticks. Short, curved pieces are perfect for pea sticks or kindling. Hazel hurdles—woven panels—are traditional for fencing, snow breaks and garden screens. They last for years if kept dry. You can also make charcoal from hazel, which burns hot and clean. Bundle smaller brash for firewood; it seasons quickly. Don't waste the leaves—they make a fine compost activator or a nutritious mulch. If you're not using the wood, leave some cut stems in a corner as a wildlife refuge.

Foraging from the Hedgerow: Hazelnuts and More

Come late August and September, hazelnuts are ripe. Look for clusters of green husks turning brown, with nuts that rattle inside. Pick them before the squirrels do—but leave at least a third for wildlife. To dry, spread them in a shallow tray in a warm, airy room for a few weeks. They keep for months in their shells. You can also forage other hedgerow treasures alongside your hazel: sloes, rosehips, elderberries and crab apples. Always leave plenty for birds and mammals, and never take from a nature reserve without permission. A warm autumn day spent gathering nuts and catkins is one of the great joys of countryside living. And if you plant a few hazel stools this winter, you'll have your own supply for years to come—wood, nuts and a thriving patch of British wildlife.