Hazel
Male catkins
Male and female flowers, glandular twig
Male catkin - bracts and anthers
Yellow and dark (frost affected) anthers
Styles of the female flower
Hazel nuts
Immature catkins
Hazel leaves
Corylus avellana
Corylaceae
Cob-nut
January to March
It is found throughout the country.
See the BSBI distribution map for Hazel
It is widespread in woods, scrub, hedgerows, on river
banks and cliffs, and is widely planted in copses and
hedges, round fields and alongside country paths.
Hazel is a native shrub or small tree, growing up to 6m.
The male flowers are pendulous, yellow catkins up to
8cm long and composed of oval bracts and yellow anthers.
Immature catkins, which appear from October onwards,
are green and compressed.
Female flowers are visible as bright red styles - up to
4mm across.
Male catkins tend to appear before female flowers.
Flowers appear before the leaves.
Young twigs are covered in reddish-brown glandular hairs.
The fruits are edible nuts encased in a woody husk.
Hazlenuts are good to eat if the squirrels don't get
there first.
Hazel is grown commercially in Turkey and North
America with the nuts sold for eating, especially at
Christmas, and used in the manufacture of praline,
chocolate truffles and flavoured coffees.
Previous page: Hairy Bitter-cress
Next page: Intermediate Periwinkle
Male catkins
Male and female flowers, glandular twig
Male catkin - bracts and anthers
Yellow and dark (frost affected) anthers
Styles of the female flower
Hazel nuts
Immature catkins
Hazel leaves
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