Corylus avellana Medusa - Common Hazel

Corylus avellana 'Medusa' is a small hazelnut bush that will delight enthusiasts of original shapes, as it is probably the most twisted variety there is! More compact than the species, this small bush can be grown in the ground or in a pot to decorate a terrace. At the end of winter, its branches are adorned with beautiful elongated yellow catkins, before the leaves appear. These are green during the season and turn golden yellow in autumn. This very hardy bush is slow-growing and highly adaptable, tolerating all soils as long as they are not too dry or shallow.

The Hazelnut bush is a large fruit-bearing bush from the family of Betulaceae (like Birches, Hornbeams or Alders). It can be found throughout Europe, up to Russia and the Middle East. It is very common in woods and on the edge of forests, in moist, rich and deep soils. From the end of winter, between February and March, when their branches are still bare, hazelnut bushes produce long and decorative male catkins. These will pollinate the tiny female flowers that appear afterwards. The species is monoecious, meaning that male and female flowers are separate, but present on the same plant.

The 'Medusa' hazelnut bush is a unique and even more contorted form of the famous Corylus avellana Contorta, which was very trendy in the 80s. 'Medusa' gets its name from the fact that its branching resembles a nest of snakes, just like the ones that crowded Medusa's head as hair. Its branches contort all the way to the finest twig, forming a particularly decorative scene. It becomes even more beautiful when rain makes its copper-brown bark shine, or when snow or ice settles on the branches, enhancing their unique architecture.
In February-March, before the leaves appear, the still bare wood is adorned with numerous thin and narrow, yellow catkins, about 5 centimetres (2 inches) long. These pendulous carkins transform the bush into a chandelier, with fantastic shapes like no other. The beautiful leaves, measuring 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 in), are bright green throughout the growing season, then turn golden yellow in autumn.
Medusa grows slowly, reaching a height of about 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) and a width of 1 m (3 ft 4 in) after 10 years, and a maximum of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) by 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) when fully grown. Hazelnut bushes can develop very large crowns over the years, but this will not be the case with Medusa, which grows moderately and at a slow pace. This allows it to be easily grown in a pot to decorate a terrace or even a balcony.

Plant 'Medusa' in a bed close to the house, so you can enjoy it from your window during winter, when it is undoubtedly at its most beautiful. You can associate it with other plants with winter interest, such as shrubs with decorative bark. Pair it with Cornus sanguinea, which you will plant in the background as it is more vigorous than Medusa, and its bright red bark will strongly contrast with the brown of our small Hazelnut bush. Cornus stolonifera Flaviramea with its yellow stems will also be an excellent companion, as well as Rubus thibetanus Silver Fern, an ornamental bramble with very erect branches in a beautiful white colour. Also consider decorative fruits, such as those of Spindles like Euonymus planipes, which will create a wonderful scene in autumn with its foliage turning flamboyant purple, against which Medusa's yellow will stand out.