RED DRAGON CONTORTED FILBERT
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#3068
RED DRAGON CONTORTED FILBERT
Corylus avellana
'Red Dragon'
PP20694 Plant propagation prohibited
Availability
THIS PLANT IS PROHIBITED IN THESE STATES: OR, WA (Details)
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Root Pouch 5 gallon
(SKU: 8838)
5 - Available Now (S) -
Details
-
Grown in Root Pouch®.
List Price $195.00 Per Plant In Stock
Hardiness Zone: 5-9 · Mature Height: 5-10 Feet · Mature Spread: 5-10 Feet
Few shrubs can make crooked look quite this good. Red Dragon Contorted Filbert twists and turns its way through the landscape with corkscrew branches dressed in deeply saturated burgundy to maroon-purple foliage. Its wavy, slightly curled leaves complement the unusual stems, giving the entire plant a wonderfully sculptural appearance from spring through much of the growing season, providing plenty of personality without overwhelming the landscape. Use it as a specimen, accent, or unexpected focal point where its remarkable combination of color, texture, and form can take center stage.
Then winter arrives—and 'Red Dragon' has another trick up its twisted sleeves. Once the leaves fall, the wonderfully contorted framework is completely exposed, turning bare branches into living sculpture when many deciduous shrubs have little left to show. As winter begins giving way to spring, dangling reddish-bronze male catkins emerge along the naked branches before the new foliage appears, adding yet another season of interest. Fresh leaves follow in rich burgundy-maroon shades and retain impressive color through much of the growing season. From colorful foliage to corkscrew stems to late-winter flowers, Red Dragon Contorted Filbert is one of those rare shrubs that can be genuinely interesting twelve months of the year.
Good looks aren't the whole story, either. 'Red Dragon' was developed with genetics derived from the famous Gasaway source of resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight, an important disease that affects European filberts, combining ornamental beauty with valuable disease resistance. Even better, the plants offered by Sooner Plant Farm are grown from cuttings rather than grafted onto European filbert rootstock, so each plant is genetically the same cultivar from top to bottom. That means its signature burgundy foliage, twisting branches, and disease-resistant genetics aren't sitting atop a different root system that can send up unwanted rootstock suckers. Let Red Dragon Contorted Filbert do what it does best: spend every season proving that sometimes the most interesting line between two points isn't straight at all.
RED DRAGON CONTORTED FILBERT Plant Characteristics
Bark Type*
| • | Smooth |
Cultural Information*
| • | Leaf Scorch - Moderate Resistance |
| • | Leaf Spot - High Resistance |
| • | Powdery Mildew - High Resistance |
| • | Root Rot - High Resistance |
Leaf Color Fall*
| • | Dark Yellow/Gold |
Leaf Type*
| • | Deciduous/Herbaceous |
Plant Type*
| • | Shrub |
Season of Interest*
| • | Early Spring |
| • | Fall |
| • | Late Spring/Early Summer |
| • | Late Summer/Early Autumn |
| • | Spring |
| • | Summer |
| • | Winter |
| • | Year-Round |
2 review(s) for RED DRAGON CONTORTED FILBERT
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RED DRAGON CONTORTED FILBERT Homeowner Growing & Maintenance Tips
- Recommended Soil:
- Plant in moist, organically rich, well-drained soil for the best overall growth and performance.
- Red Dragon Contorted Filbert adapts well to average garden soils provided excess water drains freely from the root zone.
- Avoid persistently soggy locations and extremely heavy, poorly drained clay soils.
- Mulching around the root zone can help conserve moisture, moderate soil temperatures, and reduce competition from weeds.
- Sun Exposure:
- Partial shade provides perfect suitable growing conditions.
- For the richest burgundy-purple foliage, provide plenty of direct sunlight throughout the growing season.
- Plants grown with excessive shade may develop greener foliage and less intense coloration.
- Irrigation Needs:
- Water regularly after planting to encourage development of a healthy, established root system.
- Established plants appreciate consistent moisture but should not remain continually waterlogged.
- During prolonged heat or dry weather, supplemental irrigation can help maintain healthy foliage and vigorous growth.
- Feeding & Nutrients:
- Red Dragon generally performs well in reasonably fertile garden soil without excessive feeding.
- A balanced, slow-release fertilizer applied in spring can support healthy foliage and new stem development.
- Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can encourage overly vigorous growth at the expense of a naturally attractive form.
- Pruning & Maintenance:
- Minimal pruning is typically needed; allow the naturally twisted branching to develop into its distinctive sculptural framework.
- Remove dead, damaged, or poorly positioned branches as needed to maintain an attractive shape.
- Selective pruning can open the plant's structure and make its corkscrew branches even more visible during winter.
- Sooner Plant Farm's Red Dragon plants are propagated from cuttings rather than grafted, eliminating maintenance associated with removing shoots produced by a different rootstock.
Family: Betulaceae · Common Name: Filbert / Hazel
FREE with every plant purchased:
- The Sooner Guarantee: For details, click here!
- A pre-applied, pre-measured amount of time release fertilizer that keeps your plant well nourished for up to one year.
- Pre-hydrated Hydro-Gels are included in the top of each container to use when planting as they help retain soil moisture, and plants will establish more quickly with less transplant shock. Plants will also survive drought-like conditions and accidental missed waterings better.
- Planting and Care Instruction brochure.
- Catalogs of new and exciting plant brands, such as Garden Debut® and Proven Winners®.
We use and recommend www.dripdepot.com for our irrigation needs, from simple to install micro and drip systems, to commercial grade irrigation parts and supplies.
Interesting Notes About RED DRAGON CONTORTED FILBERT
- A Dragon Born to Fight Disease: Red Dragon was developed from a breeding program that incorporated the famous Gasaway source of resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight. Gasaway resistance became enormously important to hazelnut breeding because it provided breeders with a powerful genetic tool for developing European filberts better equipped to withstand this destructive fungal disease.
- Those Twists Are in Its DNA: The corkscrew branches aren't caused by pruning, training, or environmental conditions—they are part of Red Dragon's genetics. Plants propagated from cuttings are clones of the parent cultivar, allowing the characteristic contorted branching, burgundy foliage, and other cultivar traits to carry directly into the next generation.
- No Undercover Filbert Here: Red Dragon is sometimes sold grafted onto European filbert rootstock, which can produce vigorous suckers that look and grow differently from the cultivar above the graft.
- Nuts Aren't Its Main Act: Red Dragon belongs to the same species responsible for many cultivated European hazelnuts, but this ornamental selection is grown primarily for its extraordinary foliage and contorted branching rather than nut production. It is not self-pollinating, although a compatible hazelnut growing nearby may allow it to produce a limited nut crop.
- The Dragon Has Papers: Red Dragon isn't simply a descriptive nursery name, it is a distinct patented cultivar protected under U.S. Plant Patent PP20,694. Its combination of contorted growth, persistent dark red-purple foliage, and Eastern Filbert Blight resistance helped distinguish it from older contorted filberts and made it an important advancement in ornamental hazelnut breeding.
Debra - Jul 19, 2015
New York (Hardiness Zone: 5)
All of the Corylus avellanas are exquisitely beautiful, gorgeous gnarly small trees. However, here in the NE, they are also highly susceptible to Eastern Filbert Blight. I just lost my gorgeous avellana after 3 years of treatment. I'm an avid and seasoned gardener. As far as I know, the only cultivar not susceptible is the American version (vs the European/contorted version). I know of no one here in CNY who's been able to keep one alive and healthy :( Hybridizers: Please correct this! I'd like a garden full of these charming beauties!
deborah - May 17, 2019
Rhode Island (Hardiness Zone: 5)
Beautiful healthy shrub arrived in perfect condition. Impressive size shrub for the price!