A few years back I went on a tree planting mission and part of that was planting 15 Hazelnut trees. The nursery were meant to send me 10 green leaf trees and 5 red leaf trees but somehow they got muddled and sent all red leaf ones. I didn’t realise the mistake until they came into leaf the following spring.

Strangely, given that Hazelnuts grow pretty well round here and especially because there are several in the dry stone wall at the end of the field, you’d have thought they’d go like a train but most of them limp on each year looking very sorry for themselves. There are three exceptions, all located together in a group, that are thriving.

This is one such. The leaves unfurl a deep red colour then the red fades out to leave green with red tinges. It’s very strange. None of them have borne any nuts yet so I’m hoping they may do so next year. In the meantime, the foliage is lovely.