# Hazel (*Hazelina alexanderi*)

Hazel is a bush that produces delicious nuts! The leaves are green and round, providing great shade in the summer.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Woodlands and hedgerows
- **Also known as:** Filbert, Hazel Nut, hazels

![Hazel](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424429/objects/5041.jpg)

## Appearance

The Hazel is a deciduous shrub or small tree with broad, rounded, toothed leaves. It showcases yellow, worm-like male catkins in late winter and tiny red female flowers before its leaves appear. Its edible nuts are encased in leafy, fringed husks.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fagales
- **Family:** Betulaceae
- **Genus:** Corylus

## Interesting facts

- A single hazel tree can produce thousands of delicious nuts each year!
- Ancient people used hazel branches for building and weaving sturdy fences!
- Hazel nuts are sometimes called 'filberts' after a saint's feast day.
- Hazel wood is so flexible, it was used to make hurdles and fishing rods.

## Special abilities

- **Winter Bloom Power:** Hazel can bloom in late winter before its leaves sprout, ensuring its wind-blown pollen travels far and wide.
- **Nutty Treasure Maker:** Hazel has nutritious nuts that ripen in autumn, providing vital food for many animals and helping the tree spread its seeds.
- **Coppice Comeback:** Hazel can regrow vigorously from its stump after being cut, making it a very resilient and long-lived plant.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 300-800 cm
- **Spread:** 300-600 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-6 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late winter to early spring
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Grey Squirrel (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Squirrels eagerly collect and eat its nutritious nuts.
- **Depends on:** Hazel Dormouse (*Muscardinus avellanarius*) — This tiny dormouse relies on hazel nuts, flowers, and leaves.
- **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-jay) (*Garrulus glandarius*) — Jays bury hazel nuts, helping them grow into new trees.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [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.
- [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.

## Collections

- [Grasses](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses)
- [Grasses, Shrubs & Bushes](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses-shrubs-and-bushes)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Explore with care and ask an adult if you’re unsure what to do.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify 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 Hazel?

300-800 cm

### How wide does Hazel spread?

300-600 cm

### How big are the flowers on Hazel?

2-6 cm

### When does Hazel bloom?

Late winter to early spring

### Is Hazel edible?

Yes

### Is Hazel toxic?

None

### What is Hazel's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Denny Blaine Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/denny-blaine-park) — Washington, US · Park
- [Gamble Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gamble-park) — British Columbia, CA · Park

## 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*)

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Source: [Hazel: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hazel)