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shrub

Hazel

Corylus avellana

Native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Partial shade

Soil moisture

average, moisture-retentive

Heat tolerance

Up to about 36°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -28°C

Waterlogging tolerance

3/5

Drought tolerance

3/5

Mature size

3–5 m tall, 4 m spread

Seasonal interest

Late winter catkins, autumn nuts · Yellow catkins

Maintenance

low

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 5/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Squirrels usually take the nut crop first.

Toxicity: none

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name
Corylus avellana L.
Family
Betulaceae (Fagales)
Rank and status
species · accepted
GBIF record
Taxon 2875979

Recorded native range: Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, Flanders, Flemish Region, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Portugal Continental, Walloon Region

Recorded as introduced in: Azores, Açores, British Columbia, Cyprus, Illinois, Kriti, Malta, New York, Newfoundland, Ontario, Oregon, Vermont and 3 further regions

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

Corylus avellana, the common hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the birch family Betulaceae. The shrubs usually grow 3–8 metres (10–26 feet) tall. The nut is round, in contrast to the longer filbert nut. Common hazel is native to Europe and Western Asia. The species is mainly cultivated for its nuts. The name 'hazelnut' applies to the nuts of any species in the genus Corylus, but in commercial contexts usually describes C. avellana. This hazelnut or cob nut (sometimes cobnut), the kernel of the seed, is edible and used raw, roasted, or ground into a paste. Historically, the shrub was an important component of the hedgerows used as field boundaries in lowland England. The wood was grown as coppice, with the poles used for wattle-and-daub building and agricultural fencing.

Description from Wikipedia — Corylus avellana (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

  • United Kingdom: native
  • United States: climate-suitable
  • Australia: climate-suitable

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.