Turkish hazel

This hazel creates a double-act with its neighbouring oak. Native to Anatolia, the Caucasus region and Iran, this tree is doing well in the particularly stony and arid soil in this area of the gardens. The ground in this part of the city has been reworked many times for train lines, metro lines and the ‘petite ceinture’ (small ring) road. The water table was diverted when the administrative city, tunnels and underground car parks were created. Another tree that was planted here uncoincidentally. This hazel is a descendant of a remarkable hazel tree in Brussels. A passionate dendrologist (who knows this garden well) has said as much:

“In the 90s, Belgium’s champion Turkish hazel had reached a respectable circumference of 450 cm with a height of 22 m, located at the Stuyvenberg estate in Laeken. When it died, it was deserving for a few specimens to be replanted in public parks in Brussels. In the nursery, plants from seedlings are very heterogeneous and nursery owners don’t always have a selection. It’s better to choose locally if you want to get a tree with a straight trunk and a well-structured crown.”