HAZEL (Corylus avellana)

KEY IDENTIFYING FEATURES IN SUMMER

1. Large round leaf with a drawn-out tip.
2. Leaf edge is serrated or saw-toothed.
3. Leaf feels fuzzy on the topside only.
4. Clusters of white unripe nuts on some trees.
5. Typically grows with many stems from one stool.

SIMILAR SPECIES IN SUMMER

It can be easy to mistake the Hazel for these other common species...

ELM (Ulmus spp.)

Leaves has a serrated edge with a drawn-out tip and also our fuzzy to the touch. However, the leaves are much more oval in shape. They are also much more uniformly spaced along the branch.

LIME (Tilia spp.)

Leaves are similar in size, shape and have a serrated edge. Lime leaves are not fuzzy to the touch though. This is where any similarity ends though as the whole tree (barks, twigs, overall character) is very different.

ALDER (Alnus glutinosa)

Leaves are also round, but they never get as large as hazel and they don't have serrated edges.