Hazel

Hazel is a familiar native British tree or large shrub found in woodlands, hedgerows, scrub and the edges of fields. It is particularly valuable to bushcrafters because of its versatile wood, straight young stems and edible nuts. Learning to identify hazel is useful for understanding traditional woodland crafts, coppicing and the responsible use of natural materials.

Hazel often grows with several stems rising from a single base, especially where it has been traditionally coppiced. Its rounded leaves have a pointed tip, a doubly toothed edge and a noticeably rough texture. In late winter, before the leaves emerge, the long yellow male catkins make hazel especially easy to recognise. Female flowers are much smaller and have tiny red stigmas.

The tree produces hazelnuts in protective leafy husks, usually ripening towards late summer and autumn. These nuts are an important food source for wildlife and have long been gathered by people. Hazel wood is also useful for traditional crafts, including walking sticks, simple frames, stakes and other projects where straight, manageable poles are suitable.

For bushcraft, hazel is particularly associated with coppicing. Cutting stems at the base encourages new shoots to grow, creating a renewable supply of poles when the tree is managed appropriately. However, not every hazel tree should be harvested: consider landowner permission, wildlife, the condition of the tree and local restrictions before cutting any material.

How to identify it

1. Examine the leaves - Look for rounded or broadly oval leaves with a noticeable pointed tip. They are generally wider than the leaves of many other common woodland trees.
2. Check the leaf margins - Hazel leaves have a toothed edge, often with smaller teeth within the larger ones. The veins are prominent and extend towards the leaf edge.
3. Feel the leaf texture - The leaves are usually rough to the touch, with a slightly hairy surface, especially when young. Avoid relying on texture alone, as other plants can also have rough leaves.
4. Look for winter catkins - Long, yellow, dangling male catkins commonly appear in late winter and release pollen before the leaves develop. They are one of hazel's most recognisable seasonal features.
5. Look for female flowers - Female flowers are much smaller and less conspicuous than the male catkins. Look closely along the branches for small buds with bright red stigma tips.
6. Identify the nuts - In summer and autumn, look for rounded nuts enclosed in leafy husks. The shape and extent of the husks help distinguish hazel from trees that produce different kinds of fruit.
7. Observe the growth habit - Hazel often grows as a multi-stemmed shrub, with several poles rising from the base. Long-established coppiced hazel commonly forms a stool with many regrowth stems.
8. Inspect the bark - Young stems generally have smooth grey-brown bark. Older stems become more textured, but hazel usually lacks the deeply fissured bark seen on many mature trees.
9. Check the habitat - Hazel commonly grows in deciduous woodland, hedgerows, scrub and woodland margins. It often occurs beneath taller trees or in areas managed through coppicing.
10. Confirm the combination of features - Use the leaf shape, toothed margins, catkins, nuts and growth habit together. No single feature is always enough to identify hazel confidently, particularly when the plant is young or lacks leaves.

Lookalikes

• Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus): Its leaves are also toothed and strongly veined, but they tend to be more elongated and have sharper, more pronounced parallel veins.
• Lime (Tilia species): Lime leaves can be roughly heart-shaped and toothed, but they typically have a more obvious heart-shaped base.
• Elm (Ulmus species): Elm leaves are often rough and toothed, but their leaf bases are usually noticeably uneven.
• Alder (Alnus species): Alder leaves are generally rounder, sometimes with a notched tip, and its fruit develops into small woody cones.