Hazel / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Edible

Common Names

Hazel

Botanical Name

Corylus avellana

Scientific Classification

Kingdom – Plantae

Order –Fagales 

Family – Betulaceae

Physical Characteristics for Hazel

The Common Hazel is typically found as a shrub reaching 2-8m tall where it’s coppiced, however when it’s left to grow un-coppiced it can reach 15m tall. The bark is grey brown, becoming darker with age and eventually becoming slightly peeling, the fresh young shoots are hairy.

Leaves

The leaves 6-12cm long and across, are rounded with a double serrated margin and hairs on both sides.

Flowers

The Flowers are formed in early spring before the leaves. The catkins come in two forms, male and female, male 5-12cm long are pale yellow whilst 1-3mm long, bright red, form mostly concealed in the buds.

Fruit

The 15-20mm spherical, yellow-brown, nut comes in a short leafed husk, in clusters of 1-5 together and will fall to the ground when ripe, September – October.

Habitat

Found growing on calcareous soils often in hedgerows and woodlands where it is used for hedging or coppicing.

Known Hazards 

None know

Could be Confused with

Other species in the Corylus family, of which are similarly used. Linden Tree (Tilia) which has a similar leaf structure but the leaves are smoother and shoots are not hairy. It also grows to a huge size, doesn’t produce catkins or nuts and isn’t poisonous. Elm and Wych-Elm also have similar looking leaves, but they are rougher in texture, and again they don’t produce catkins or nuts. 

Edible Uses

Leaves: green tea, fermented tea, dried tea, wine, smoking foods

Catkin: edible

Green nut: Salads, pasta, feta parcels, milk

Ripe nut: salads, pasta, cakes, pesto, flour, roasted, pickled, salted, soups, milk, oil

Notes on Herbal uses

The oil of Hazel is referenced as being used to treat infection of threadworm or pinworm in young children.

Extra notes from the Foragers

You have to get out early to collect these nuts before the squirrels get them, find a spot where you know they are and return weekly when you expect them to come in to season around early September, alternatively they can be pickled straight from the tree and used fresh. One of the few nuts that taste brilliant straight off the tree like this.

Although we only have one recipe in this book including Hazel I have included it above all other nuts producing trees as it produces the one wild nut I pick on a regular basis (when they’re green and can beat the squirrels to them). I then use this nut in any recipe that calls for either fresh or crushed nuts of any kind.

Hazel has a strong link in Celtic mythology with poets, literature and gaining wisdom.