Description
Corylus avellana 'Webb's Prize Cob' Shrub | Hazel
The Hazel plant Corylus avellana 'Webb's Prize Cob' is a named Hazel cultivar with a vigorous, upright and bushy habit. This deciduous shrub has a strong presence in the garden and can reach approximately 4 metres in height when mature. It needs considerable space to develop its full shape, making it better suited to a larger garden than to a small pot or narrow planting area. The green foliage gives the shrub a fresh appearance during the growing season, while yellow and red flowers provide early seasonal interest. These flowers appear before the foliage is fully established, adding colour at a time when many garden plants are still quiet. The shrub also produces hazelnuts, which are a notable plant characteristic of this cultivar. Hardy by nature, it brings a natural and established feel to a planting scheme. Its substantial form can add height and volume without creating the narrow silhouette of a trained tree. As part of the corylus genus, this Hazel combines ornamental value, seasonal interest and wildlife value in one large garden shrub.
Key features of Hazel (Corylus avellana 'Webb's Prize Cob')
- Early seasonal interest: Yellow and red flowers appear from February to April. This early spring flowering is one of the shrub’s notable features and brings colour to the garden before the main flowering season begins.
- Foliage and growth habit: The shrub carries green foliage and has a vigorous, upright and bushy structure. It develops substantial lower-level volume rather than a narrow formal tree silhouette, so it needs plenty of room to grow.
- Aspect and soil: This Common Hazel grows in full sun or partial shade. It prefers rich, humus-rich, well-drained and lightly moist soil. Good drainage and an open soil structure are important, especially in the mild but often wet conditions found in UK gardens, as the soil should not remain waterlogged.
- Garden position: A reasonably sheltered position in a UK garden suits its substantial shrub form. It requires suitable growing space and is not a plant for direct planting in heavily paved areas. Its size and bushy habit are best appreciated where the roots and lower growth have room to develop.
- Wildlife value: The shrub offers value for birds while also providing seasonal interest through its flowers, foliage and hazelnuts. It can form part of a natural planting scheme with a strong wildlife character. Its hardy nature also makes it a useful choice within a range of hardy shrubs.
- Pollination and nut production: Another Hazel can support better pollination and nut production. This is worth considering when planning a larger garden planting, without changing the shrub’s main value as a robust and ornamental garden feature.
Uses of Hazel in the garden
- Specimen planting: Webb's Prize Cob Hazel works well as a specimen shrub where its upright, bushy shape can be seen clearly. It adds height, structure and natural character to a spacious garden area.
- Groups and broad hedges: Its full lower growth makes it suitable for group planting and a broad hedge. It creates a substantial, informal presence rather than the neat, narrow outline of a compact shrub or trained tree form.
- Orchard-style planting: This Hazel suits an orchard-style setting, especially where several robust shrubs are brought together. Another Hazel can improve pollination, while the yellow and red flowers add interest early in the year.
- Edible garden planting: The shrub can be included in an edible garden because it produces hazelnuts. Its green foliage, strong framework and wildlife value also give the planting scheme interest beyond the nut-producing season.
- Hardiness: This is a very hardy Hazel plant, with a supplied tolerance of approximately -28.9°C to -23.3°C and USDA zone 5. It is suitable for UK gardens where a dependable deciduous shrub is needed, provided there is adequate space and the soil drains well.
- Plant combinations: Combine it with other robust shrubs and wildlife-friendly planting. It fits naturally into mixed shrub planting, broad hedging plant groups and orchard or edible-garden planting schemes.
The greatest ornamental value of Corylus avellana 'Webb's Prize Cob' lies in the balance between its upright bushy structure, green foliage, early yellow and red flowers, seasonal nut production and wildlife interest. It brings a natural structural presence without looking like a compact accent plant. For gardeners seeking a hardy, wildlife-friendly Hazel shrub with early seasonal interest and room-filling form, this cultivar is a strong choice for a well-planned garden.
