Red Dragon Contorted Filbert

Corylus avellana ‘Red Dragon’ PP 20694

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 4b-8b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub or Small Tree

Height at Maturity: 10-12′

Width at Maturity: 6-8′

Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Upright

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flower Color: Burgundy-Red

Flower Size: Medium, 1/4″ wide x 1-2″ long

Flowering Period: Late Winter, Early Spring

Flower Type: Catkin

Fragrant Flowers: NO

Foliage Color: Deep Burgundy-Maroon

Fragrant Foliage: No

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained

Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5 (Slighty Acidic to Slightly Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Very Low when left in it’s natural form

Attracts: Birds, Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Heat, Insect (Excluding Japanese Beetles), Filbert Blight

Description

With its deep maroon-purple leaves on twisted corkscrew branches, the Red Dragon Contorted Filbert is guaranteed to please with outstanding form, texture and color. The obovate, wavy leaves hold their color for most of the growing season before dropping in winter to reveal the twisted branches. In late winter clusters of bronze-orange catkins (flowers) emerge hanging in clusters from stem-tips just before the new leaves arrive. Cut stems are exceptionally unique and nice in dried floral arrangements. Red Dragon Contorted Filbert is a must have for the gardener that enjoys unique and interesting plants.

Please Note: Depending on location, climate, sun exposure, and other factors, and as with many red-leaved Japanese maple cultivars, the mature leaves of the Red Dragon Contorted Filbert may turn from the purple-red they are throughout spring to a purple to red tinted green or deep green during the summer months. That said, new leaves that emerge during summer will usually be a purplish-red. At our nursery, to better control soil moisture in the pot we keep all contorted filberts in a semi-shaded location. When in more shade, the leaves of the Red Dragon Contorted Filbert may be more green during summer than if they were in sun.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 8 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide, the Red Dragon Contorted Filbert can be grown as a somewhat large shrub or lower branches can be removed to form a highly attractive small tree. It is ideal for use as a focal point specimen or in groupings in landscape borders and home foundation plantings and can also be grown in pots, planters and other containers for use on a patio, deck or around other outdoor living spaces. A fine addition to an Asian garden or red theme color gardens.

Growing Preferences

The Red Dragon Contorted Filbert prefers a moist but well drained slightly acid to slightly alkaline soil and full sun to part shade. When planting in heavy clay soil it’s a good idea to amend the native soil at a 50/50 ratio with a sandy, bagged top soil to ensure good drainage. We suggest a minimum of 4 hours direct sunlight per day during spring, summer and fall.

Note: Find helpful advice from our experts under the Planting & Care tab above on desktop monitors or below on mobile devices.

Plant Long & Prosper!

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Beautiful plant. Can’t wait to watch it grow.—————————Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

I was skeptical about having a live, fragile tree shipped (for free!), but what a wonderful experience. The tree arrived quickly, well packed, and in great condition. Even with the wacky weather this spring it’s doing well, I will definitely order from Wilson again.—————————Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG

When I ordered this plant, it was delivered in less than desirable condition. It was not packaged properly. I called customer service and sent some pictures. They agreed that it was not . I was immediately sent another Contorta and it came looking great. I planted it and it’s putting on new growth and appears to be doing awesome. Their customer service was spot on. They even helped me to send the photos via email as I am not good at doing things like that. The young gentleman was extremely patient with me, which I appreciate very much! I would not hesitate to order from Wilson Bros. again. Thank you for standing behind your product.
A happy customer in Minnesota!————————–Hi Julie, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Red Dragon Contorted Filbert. We are so sorry the first one was not in good shape, but so glad you are pleased with the replacement and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for your kind words! 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

Tree came well packaged, moist dirt and ready to plant. If I had another place to plant I’d get one or two more.——————————————–WBG Reply: Hi Jerry, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Red Dragon Contorted Filbert. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

All too often when you mail order a plant or tree you receive something insultingly small. But that was NOT the case with the Red Dragon Contorted Filbert I ordered last week from Wilson Bros. I’ve had a couple of “regular” contorted Hazelnuts, or Filberts (yellow variety perhaps), but my last one died last year. In searching for a replacement I came across this Red Dragon variety which has more red in the leaves and hopefully will turn completely red later in the year. Regardless, I was hesitant to order from a company I had never bought from before, but the free shipping sold me so I sprang for the larger 2-gallon size. I expected it would take a long time to arrive and that it wouldn’t be at all impressive but a 4-foot tall box arrived in just a few days. Inside was a very well packed 3 1/2 foot tree, healthy with lots of new leaves and buds, It’s nothing like the fully mature trees you see in all the pictures but it will be in just a couple of years. In short this tree shipped quickly, was very well packed, and was bigger than I expected. Thanks Wilson Bros.——————————-WBG Reply: Hi Marc, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Red Dragon Contorted Filbert. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens