Sirhowy Hill Woodlands

Scientific name: Corylus avellana

Hazel

Hazel is a small, shrubby tree that can be found in a variety of habitats such as woodlands, gardens and grasslands. It is famous for its long, yellow male catkins (known as ‘lamb’s-tails’) that appear in spring, and its green, ripening to brown, fruits (known as hazel nuts) that appear in late summer. These nuts are a favourite food of Grey Squirrels, Dormice and Wood Mice, and some small mammals will cache their finds, storing them in burrows or old bird’s nests.

How to identify?

Hazel is recognisable by its almost circular, toothed leaves which have soft hairs on the underside, its yellow catkins, shiny, brown bark, and the crop of hazel nuts that appear in late summer.

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Scientific Name

Corylus avellana

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