Filbert tree

[Alex_Parrott]

Hi all just recieved a red Filbert tree from a well known supplier as a lucky dip. Looks great though the only problem is I have no idea what to do with it... Can I plant it in a big pot or not? and also looking on the net some say it is self fertile others say not?

Never even heard of a filbert tree before today though am informed its like a chestnut.

[FB.]

Filbert is a variant of hazel.
They are pollinated by wind dispersion from the catkins that appear in Jan-Feb.
So long as there are some wild hazels in hegderows near to you, you'll get pollinated.
Hazels normally grow to form a large bush or small tree. They are quite tough plants, so it is possible to keep them small if you grow them without much feeding or watering.
I have a several-year-old red filbert that is only a couple of feet in size (they are capable of growing 2-3ft per year in good conditions). It is so small because it is in some very poor/shallow soil and overhung by a larger tree so that rainfall doesn't really reach it.

[sarraceniac]

Can I just jump in for some advice FB? I was given a twisted hazel last year but know nothing about them. Are these purely ornamental or do they bear edible fruit as well? Yes, we do have other hazels near.

[FB.]

Twisty hazels are for decorative purposes.
I've never seen one with nuts, but that may simply be because some varieties of hazel take many years to produce nuts.
It may also be because some varieties tend to produce mostly pollen catkins but not many flowers that become nuts (e.g. Cosford) while others produce mostly flowers that turn into nuts but don't produce many catkins (e.g. Kent).

[sarraceniac]

Thanks FB. I wish my relative-in-laws would ask advice before buying kind presents.

[Nicos]

My filbert tree on my now-ex lottie was 6 years old and just starting to produce nuts!
Imagine my dismay when we went to take 'stuff' on our final visit, that the new peeps taking over the lottie had already removed it and chucked it!!!

Had I not already got a mahoussive hazelnut tree here I'd have been more than 'slightly miffed'
What a flipping waste!!!

[Alex_Parrott]

Ok, thats slightly dissapointing. Will I get any nuts without others trees (pretty sure none nearby) or just end up with a decorative plant?

Also if it is the case I have to purchase another do I need another of the same tree or could I get another Filbert or even another nut?

Thanks for your excellent advice

[FB.]

If you buy another red filbert, it will have come from the same "mother" plant as the one you already have. In other words; it is the same plant and probably won't be able to cross-pollinate itself.
For good pollination, you need two completely different varieties.
For example; using my example above, two Kent hazel would not cross pollinate and neither would two Cosford hazel, but one of each would cross-pollinate very well.
The same applies to all fruit trees. Two Golden Delicious apple trees can't pollinate as they're genetically the same tree. But a Golden Delicious will cross-pollinate with a different variety that flowers at the same time - such as Spartan.


You should get adequate pollination from wild hazels blowing pollen in the wind, so don't worry about pollination.

Your red filbert is mostly for decorative purposes, although it will produce red catkins and maybe a few red nuts, but any nuts you get should be considered as a bonus.

[Alex_Parrott]

Thanks fb. Think I will leave it for a year or two and see what happens. Thanks again for great advice you should audition for gardeners world