Catkins resembling lambs tails, and late-summer nuts. Hazel is one of the most useful trees for its bendy stems and as a conservation saviour. And its nuts are loved by people, squirrels and hazel dormice.
Hazel was grown in the UK for large-scale nut production until the 1900s. Today, most of our hazelnuts are imported.
Hazel fruits hang in groups of one to four before maturing into a nut with a woody shell.
If you don’t cut down hazel trees, they can grow to be 12 meters tall and live up to 80 years. If you do cut them down, they 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.
Keep an eye out for: leaves that feel soft to the touch because they have downy hairs on the underside Hazel is often coppiced. In the winter, you can tell it apart from other trees because its nuts are held in a short, leafy husk that covers about three quarters of the nut. Small, green catkins can be present in autumn.
Hazelnut trees are a wonderful addition to any yard or orchard. Their multi-season interest and easygoing nature make them a joy to grow. If you’ve ever wondered exactly what hazelnut trees look like throughout the year this visual guide will give you a complete picture.
Spring
In early to mid spring, usually February to March, hazelnut trees begin to display their charming flowers The male flowers emerge first in the form of 2-3 inch yellow catkins that dangle from the branches. They provide an early spot of color before the leaves emerge
The tiny female flowers emerge later. They are very small and inconspicuous, with just a small red pistil peeking out. But don’t underestimate their importance – these are the flowers that will develop into the hazelnuts if pollinated.
Hazelnut catkins in early spring. Credit: Unlash Photos
During this time period, the hazelnut tree has an open look, with bare branches just starting to be adorned with flowers. The leaves have not emerged yet. The overall look is delicate and airy.
Late Spring
In late spring, usually April to May, the hazelnut leaves begin to emerge. The leaves start out light green and tender. They are round to oval shaped with pointed tips. The undersides have fine fuzzy hairs, giving the leaves a soft texture.
The male catkins will lengthen and turn pale yellow as they finish pollinating. Some may start to drop. The tiny female flowers become more visible as they transition into small green fruit.![Green hazelnut leaves with fuzzy undersides emerging in spring][]
New hazelnut leaves in spring. Credit: Unlash Photos
During late spring, the hazelnut takes on a brighter, fresher look as the green leaves fill out the branches. The overall shape becomes fuller as the bare winter look transforms into abundant foliage.
Summer
In summer, usually June to August, hazelnut trees are at their lushest. The leaves turn darker green and reach their full size of 2-6 inches long. Dappled sunlight filters through the leafy canopy.
The tiny female fruits begin swelling into small green nut clusters about 1 inch long. They are wrapped in a frilly husk. The small green nuts will continue growing through summer, eventually turning brown when ripe.
Hazelnut nut clusters in summer. Credit: Unlash Photos
The summer look is very full and leafy. The green nuts add visual interest without being overbearing. Filtered shade makes hazelnut trees an attractive backyard tree.
Fall
In fall, usually September to November, hazelnut trees start their transformation back to winter dormancy. The leaves turn golden yellow or reddish-orange before dropping to the ground.
The nuts ripen to a rich brown color and start dropping from the branches. Ripe nuts easily separate from their frilly husks. You may see leftover dried husks clinging to bare branches into winter. ![Hazelnut tree with orange leaves and clusters of ripe brown nuts in fall][]
Hazelnut tree in fall with ripe nuts. Credit: Unlash Photos
During fall, hazelnuts provide a beautiful display of color before going dormant. The colors complement the ripening nut clusters.
Winter
In winter, usually December to February, hazelnut trees are fully dormant. They have dropped all their leaves, leaving a bare network of branches.
While not spectacular like other seasons, winter reveals the attractive branching structure. The buds for next year’s growth can be seen forming on the tips of twigs. Some dried nut husks may persist on the finer branches, adding subtle interest.![Hazelnut tree with bare branching structure in winter][]
Dormant hazelnut tree in winter. Credit: Unlash Photos
The winter look is understated but graceful. The form of the tree can be appreciated without the leaves.
Mature Size and Habit
Hazelnut trees are multi-stemmed, rather than having a single trunk. This gives them a shrubby, spreading shape. Mature trees reach 15-20 feet tall and 10 feet wide.![Multi-stemmed hazelnut trees planted in a row][]
Hazelnut trees planted in a row showing mature size and habit. Credit: Unlash Photos
The suckering, multi-stemmed habit makes hazelnuts ideal for planting in rows, hedgerows, or clump formations. They grow at a moderate rate of 1-2 feet per year.
Bark and Wood
The bark of hazelnut trees starts out smooth and gray-brown on young trees. As the trees mature, the bark develops random vertical fissures that give it a scaly appearance.
The wood of hazelnut trees is extremely flexible. It was historically used to make wattle fencing, baskets, and walking sticks that could double as catapults. The flexibility makes hazelnuts useful for coppicing as well.
Hazelnut bark close up. Credit: Unlash Photos
In Summary
Hazelnut trees transform through the seasons, providing unique beauty in each one:
- Spring – Delicate dangling catkins with emerging tender leaves
- Summer – Lush canopy with swelling green nut clusters
- Fall – Changing leaf colors with ripening nut clusters
- Winter – Graceful bare branching structure
Their multi-stemmed, suckering habit produces spreading medium-sized trees up to 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide. The bark is smooth and gray when young, becoming scaly with age.
Hopefully this visual guide gives you a clear idea of what to expect from hazelnut trees throughout the year. Their appealing looks and easygoing nature make them a wonderful addition to any landscape.
Not to be confused with:
English elm (Ulmus minor ‘Atinia’), which has leaves that look a lot like hazel leaves but are rough and hairy. Elm leaves also have an asymmetric leaf base.
Have you seen buds turn into leaves or fruit ripening in the hedgerows? Tell us about the trees around you to help scientists figure out how climate change is affecting wildlife.
Credit: Laurie Campbell / WTML
What does hazel look like?
Credit: Robert Read / WTML
Round to oval, doubly toothed, hairy and pointed at the tip. Leaves turn yellow before falling in autumn.
Credit: Ross Hoddinott / naturepl.com
It is monoecious, which means that the same tree has both male and female flowers. However, hazel flowers need pollen from other hazel trees to reproduce. The yellow male catkins appear before the leaves and hang in clusters from mid-February. Female flowers are tiny and bud-like with red styles.
Credit: Ben Lee / WTML
When the wind blows on the female flowers, they turn into oval fruits that hang in groups of one to four. They mature into a nut with a woody shell surrounded by a cup of leafy bracts (modified leaves).
How to grow and harvest hazelnuts (filberts) at home, successfully!
FAQ
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