About
Corylus avellana 'Webb's Prize Cob' is a robust, deciduous shrub characterized by its broad, textured, green foliage. In late winter to early spring, it produces drooping catkins in shades of brown and yellow. By autumn, this cultivar yields clusters of sizable, round nuts that are edible. While it exhibits some self-fertility, its nut production improves significantly when cross-pollinated with another variety.
About the genus
Corylus comprises deciduous trees and sizable shrubs featuring wide leaves. In early spring, they produce prominent male catkins, which are succeeded by edible nuts.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Fruit Edible, Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 2.5-4 metres
- Spread
- 2.5-4 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Does best on light, sandy, well-drained soil. For nut production, grow as a goblet-shaped bush, keeping clear soil in a 60cm radius around the trunk. See cobnuts and filberts
- Pruning
- Prune in August, by brutting or breaking sideshoots half way along their length, followed by shortening the brutted shoots to three to four buds when the catkins are shedding pollen in late winter. When necessary, remove up to one third of old, overcrowded shoots back to the main branches
- Propagation
- Propagate by layering or stooling or removing rooted suckers
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to caterpillars, gall mites, aphids and sawflies. Squirrels like to feed on the nuts
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to honey fungus, silver leaf and powdery mildews