# common hazel (*Corylus avellana*) The common hazel is a bushy plant that produces delicious nuts called hazelnuts. It has lovely green leaves and can grow tall, providing homes for many small animals. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![common hazel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Corylus_avellana_shrub.jpg&width=800) Photo: MPF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corylus_avellana_shrub.jpg) ## Appearance The common hazel is a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree with broad, rounded, doubly-toothed, hairy leaves. It displays long, yellow-green male catkins in early spring, later producing distinctive edible nuts nestled in leafy green husks. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fagales - **Family:** Betulaceae - **Genus:** Corylus ## Interesting facts - A single common hazel bush can produce thousands of delicious, energy-packed hazelnuts each autumn. - Ancient humans have been eating hazelnuts for over 9,000 years, making them one of our oldest foods! - Hazelnuts are so buoyant they can float in water, helping them travel to new places if dropped near streams. - Its strong yet flexible wood was once used to weave wattle fencing and even make magic dowsing rods! ## Special abilities - **Vigorous Regrowth:** Common hazel can quickly regrow from its base after being cut, a process called coppicing, helping it thrive in managed woodlands. - **Wind Pollination Specialist:** Common hazel releases vast amounts of pollen into the air, effectively spreading its genes even before other plants leaf out. - **Nutrient-Rich Provision:** Common hazel produces highly nutritious hazelnuts, providing essential energy and food for many animals, aiding in seed dispersal. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 400-800 cm - **Spread:** 300-600 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late Winter to Early Spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Red Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-squirrel) (*Sciurus vulgaris*) — loves to crack and eat hazelnuts - **Eats:** [Eurasian Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-jay) (*Garrulus glandarius*) — buries nuts for later, aiding dispersal - **Shelter:** Hazel Dormouse (*Muscardinus avellanarius*) — builds nests and feeds on nuts - **Eats:** Wood Mouse (*Apodemus sylvaticus*) — forages for fallen hazelnuts on the ground ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Nut Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nut-bearing): Nut bearing plants produce hard-shelled fruits, commonly known as nuts, which contain a single seed and are a valuable food source. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not eat any nuts unless you are sure they are safe and have permission from an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common hazel? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is common hazel? 400-800 cm ### How wide does common hazel spread? 300-600 cm ### When does common hazel bloom? Late Winter to Early Spring ### Is common hazel edible? Yes ### Is common hazel toxic? None ### What is common hazel's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is common hazel pollinated? Wind ## Where to spot - [Alto Tajo Natural Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alto-tajo-natural-park) — Castilla-La Mancha, ES · Park - [Lake Vico Regional Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-vico-regional-nature-reserve) — IT · Park - [Source of the Pitarque River Natural Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/source-of-the-pitarque-river-natural-monument) — Aragón, ES · Park - [Treja Valley Regional Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/treja-valley-regional-nature-park) — IT · Park - [Botanischer Obstgarten Heilbronn](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/botanischer-obstgarten-heilbronn) — Baden-Württemberg, DE · Park - [Hermann-Löns-Park (Hannover)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hermann-lons-park-hannover) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park [View all places to see common hazel](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-hazel) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Hazel: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-hazel)