For reasons I don't understand, my Red Hazel bush (bought in a pot from a plant sale in May '22) which had put on good growth this year, has reverted to green. It had lovely red leaves right up until a couple of weeks ago but now just common green.
I googled and found this
If the weather is unfavourable to a particular plant, it may revert just to get a competitive advantage. Once the leaves revert to all green, the plant can increase its harvest of solar energy, which in turn gives it more fuel to produce bigger and stronger growth.
Below on the left is how it looked after buying it last year.
Will it go back to red? That is the question.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Hi Sue. My red hazel goes green each autumn before shedding its leaves. Then comes back red next spring.
ReplyDeleteSo fingers crossed yours will be the same.
Tish x
How interesting! I do remember having a shrub by the front door in our garden in Leicester. It had pretty green and white variegated leaves. One year it started producing green leaves. A visiting friend started pulling them off "otherwise it will never be variegated again" she said. For the next 5 years till we left it had a mixture of both sorts. I hope your red leaves grow back
ReplyDeleteHi Sue, worry not red leaves will be produced again in the spring.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your interesting blog writing and book recommendations
😃 Country Cook
Tish’s comment sounds promising. I bought a red hazel in 2021 for my woodland edge and like most new plantings in my free-draining greensand garden it has taken ages to settle down but this summer’s rain has really helped and for the first time since planting it is looking bonnie. I am looking forward to seeing what colour the red hazel leaves turn this autumn as ordinary hazels have wonderful buttery yellow autumn colour. Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteHow strange. I'm sure it will revert if it is just a survival strategy. It looks very pretty anyway. xx
ReplyDeleteHow disappointing. I hope it will be red again next spring. From other comments, it sounds like they will.
ReplyDeleteI'm envious. All my hazels are common or garden green. They pop up all over the place, thanks to the squirrels.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you do understand because you Googled it and found the answer. Mother nature.
ReplyDeleteYour comments do seem rather sharp…am sure you don’t mean it that way and I know you and Sue know each other in real life…but even so
DeleteHow odd.🤔
ReplyDeleteI've heard of this happening with other plants. With any luck, it will benefit the plants and you will have a bigger, maybe even redder leaved, shrub to look at next year.
ReplyDeleteWe gardeners need patience with a capital P! Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone above. I've had a red hazel before and it's never gone green and Brother-in-Law has a huge tree grown from one of our seedlings and that too has never reverted.
ReplyDeleteGood news! It appears that people in the know (above) feel your red leaves will return. Red leaves in the garden are always focal points that draw the eye. They add much to the display.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want to encourage bigger and stronger growth. Our hazel's are 10 feed high, and a struggle to control. The brown bin was complaining about the weight.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of a red hazel before, so wandered off to have a read about it. I'm going to bet that it does turn red again in the spring, agreeing with your many other commenters. Do come back and let us know if we are right!
ReplyDeleteThat quote about reverting was absolutely fascinating! The wisdom of plants is incredible and amazing to me.
ReplyDeleteThat is fascinating, I never knew plants could do that!!
ReplyDelete