The hazel tree is a fascinating deciduous shrub or small tree that can be found growing in woodlands, hedgerows, and gardens across much of Europe, parts of Asia, and North America. With its rounded leaves, hanging catkins, edible nuts, and smooth bark, the hazel has many distinctive features that make it easy to identify. In this article, we’ll explore what a hazel tree looks like during every season so you can learn to recognize this versatile plant.
Spring
The first signs of the hazel appear in late winter as it produces its famous ‘lambs tail’ catkins. These long, yellow-brown clusters of male flowers emerge along the branches, trembling in the breeze. They release clouds of pollen which fertilize the tiny female flowers.
In March and April, the green hazel leaves start to unfurl. These are round with a heart-shaped base and serrated edges. The young leaves have a fuzzy feel and may have a slight reddish tinge.
Summer
By early summer, the hazel foliage is fully developed. The leaves are alternately arranged, 3-12 cm long and oval with a pointed tip The upper surface is dark green and slightly hairy while the underside is paler with tufts of brown hairs along the veins.
Beautiful displays of bluebells, wood anemones, and other woodland flowers often carpet the ground below hazel trees in summer. This is because hazel foliage allows dappled sunlight to reach the woodland floor.
Autumn
One of the delights of the hazel is its edible nuts which ripen in autumn. Look out for the clusters of nuts protected by a frilly, leaf-like husk Each nut is enclosed in a woody shell Squirrels adore hazelnuts so you may spot them scurrying around in the branches, gathering nuts.
The leaves turn golden before falling in autumn. Hazel bark is smooth and silvery-grey with small white speckles.
Winter
Bare hazel branches make a stark silhouette against winter skies. You may notice the buds for next year’s catkins forming – the male buds are larger and more spherical than the female buds.
With the foliage gone, it’s easier to observe the hazel’s gnarled, twisting growth form. The trunk often divides low down into multiple stems which branch elegantly. Coppiced hazels have multiple straight stems arising from the stump.
Identification Tips
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Look for the hanging, yellowish catkins in late winter. No other native tree has similar flowers.
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Leaves alternate along the shoot, unlike the opposite leaves of ash or maple.
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Nuts ripening in autumn are a giveaway. No other native tree produces nuts enclosed in leafy husks.
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Bark is smooth with small white speckles, unlike the peeling bark of birch trees.
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Often multi-stemmed, especially if coppiced in the past.
So next time you’re walking in the woods or admiring trees in your neighborhood, see if you can spot the distinctive features of the humble hazel. It’s a tree with year-round interest and beauty.
Common Hazel Species
There are around 18 species of hazel trees and shrubs, with the most common types being:
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Common Hazel – Also called European hazel, it’s a large suckering shrub with rounded serrated leaves and edible brown nuts. Grows up to 20 ft tall.
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American Hazelnut – A hazel shrub native to North America with dark green serrated leaves and tasty nuts. Grows up to 16 ft tall.
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Turkish Hazel – A tall, majestic nut tree with a pyramidal crown. Has large glossy green leaves. Grows up to 80 ft tall.
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Beaked Hazel – Identified by long, extended beak-like husks on the fruit. Grows up to 12 ft tall.
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Filbert – Related to common hazelnut but with husks that form a long tubular beak. Grows up to 15 ft tall.
Growing Conditions
Hazels grow best in moist, well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade. They thrive in USDA growing zones 4-9. Ideal conditions include organically rich loam or clay soil. Hazels can tolerate drought and various soil types when established.
Uses for Hazel
Hazels have many uses beyond their tasty nuts. Their flexible wood can be used for weaving baskets and building fences and frames. Coppicing hazel trees provides a renewable source of wood. Hazel’s attractive foliage, flowers and form make it an excellent ornamental shrub or tree for gardens and landscapes.
So next time you spot the catkins, leaves or nuts of the hazel, you’ll be able to identify this multi-talented tree. With a little knowledge, it’s easy to recognize the humble hazel.
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The Hazel Tree: How to Identify, and Facts.
FAQ
Is a hazel tree the same as a hazelnut tree?
- Hazel and Hazelnut: The words “hazel” and “hazelnut” are derived from the same root, referring to the tree and its fruit, respectively.
- Genus Corylus: Hazelnuts are produced by trees belonging to the genus Corylus.
- Species: There are several species within the Corylus genus, with Corylus avellana (European or common hazel) and Corylus maxima (American or large filbert) being the most well-known.
- Cultivars: Many hazelnut cultivars are hybrids of C. avellana and C. maxima.
Where do hazel trees grow naturally?
Yet, hazelnut trees are native to the eastern half North America from Louisiana to Georgia in the south, to Manitoba and Quebec in the north. The native hazelnut trees (Corylus americana) are hardy, disease resistant and are very tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions, and yet there is a shortage of nuts.
What does a hazelnut tree look like?
The common hazelnut tree is characterized by multiple stems, and the younger stems are usually bronze in color, while the mature stems are brown. The buds are oval-shaped and green in color. The tree produces flowers quite early in the spring. Its flowers are monoecious, which means that both male and female flowers can be found on the same tree.
How tall does a hazel tree grow?
Depending on the hazel species, the shrub-like tree grows between 8 and 20 ft. (2.5 – 6 m) tall. Hazel is a flowering shrub or tree in the plant genus Corylus and the birch family Betulaceae. The tree has a clumping habit making it appear as a large shrub with a rounded, umbrella-like canopy.
What is a hazel tree?
Hazel is a flowering shrub or tree in the plant genus Corylus and the birch family Betulaceae. Depending on the hazel species, the shrub-like tree grows between 8 and 20 ft. (2.5 – 6 m) tall and has a clumping habit with a rounded, umbrella-like canopy.
What does a hazel tree look like?
Hazel trees are easily identifiable by their catkins, which are cylindrical flower clusters that bloom in late winter and early spring. These yellow flower clusters with a reddish tinge droop in groups of two or three.
What does hazel tree bark look like?
Hazel’s bark is smooth and grey-brown. It peels with age. Hazel is often coppiced, but when left to grow, trees can reach a height of 12m and live for up to 80 years (if coppiced, hazel can live for several hundred years). It has a smooth, grey-brown, bark, which peels with age, and bendy, hairy stems. Leaf buds are oval, blunt and hairy.
What are the identifying features of hazel trees and shrubs?
Hazel trees and shrubs are identified by their rounded leaves with toothed margins, dangling cylindrical flower clusters, and smooth brown bark. Hazel is a group of large deciduous multi-stemmed shrubs or trees that produce tasty round hazelnuts.