Baby Hazelnuts?

Blue Badger

Hi Guys,

Currently at home and noticed a huge number of small plants underneath an old hazelnut tree we have. We stopped cutting the grass last year as we're curious to how the garden (it's a biiiig garden, used to be a field) will rewild given the native woodlands that border it.

I can't tell if all the little plants (that would typically have been mowed down and unnoticed) are in fact the germinating Hazelnuts from last year.

I've included a photo below and would appreciate some help; if they are then I'll dig a few up for my friend's garden before i leave in a few hours.

Cheers!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They are not hazels and could be elder. I'd remove them.

Blue Badger

Kenneth Shrilling Gel wrote: »

They are not hazels and could be alder. I'd remove them.

Thanks for that Kenneth Shrilling Gel! Shame they're not Hazelnuts, though I've no idea of how so much alder got there as there are very few trees in the area.

Genghis Cant

Certainly not hazel. They look like juvenile meadow sweet to me. You'd know when you cut meadow sweet by the smell.

Lumen

Although hazel will grow well on its own rootstock, if you want nuts you're better off planting grafted varieties.

my3cents

Come on guys :eek: have none of you ever seen Ground elder before?

Edit> OP dig a bit up and take a look at the root system and crush the leaves and roots and see what is smells like. If its Ground elder you'll notice the very obvious white roots that run quite close to the surface and the smell of the crushed foliage and roots is a dead giveaway, although I'm not sure I can describe it very well.

Blue Badger

my3cents wrote: »

Come on guys :eek: have none of you ever seen Ground elder before?

Edit> OP dig a bit up and take a look at the root system and crush the leaves and roots and see what is smells like. If its Ground elder you'll notice the very obvious white roots that run quite close to the surface and the smell of the crushed foliage and roots is a dead giveaway, although I'm not sure I can describe it very well.

Bang on! Ground elder haha

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

my3cents wrote: »

Come on guys :eek: have none of you ever seen Ground elder before?

Edit> OP dig a bit up and take a look at the root system and crush the leaves and roots and see what is smells like. If its Ground elder you'll notice the very obvious white roots that run quite close to the surface and the smell of the crushed foliage and roots is a dead giveaway, although I'm not sure I can describe it very well.

Indeed. I was typing elder but typo'd

Hocus Focus

Blue Badger wrote: »

Thanks for that Srameen! Shame they're not Hazelnuts, though I've no idea of how so much alder got there as there are very few trees in the area.

Alder is a desirable, ornamental tree, Elder is a weed.