Side by side
Turkish hazel or hazel? How to tell them apart
Corylus colurna · Corylus avellana
How to tell them apart – Turkish hazel: A hazel as a tree, straight trunk, regular conical crown and nuts in a deeply cut, curly husk; hazel: multi-stemmed shrub with a softly hairy leaf, and nuts in a shorter, leafy husk.
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How do you recognise them?
- Turkish hazel
- A hazel as a tree: straight trunk, regular conical crown and nuts in a deeply cut, curly husk.
- Hazel
- Round, softly hairy leaf with a short pointed tip; yellow catkins in winter, and hazelnuts.
- Compared with Turkish hazel: multi-stemmed shrub with a softly hairy leaf, and nuts in a shorter, leafy husk.
| Turkish hazel | Hazel | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 8–12 cm, broadly oval with a heart-shaped base, coarsely double-toothed to shallowly lobed; fairly smooth. | Alternate, almost round with a short pointed tip, 6–12 cm, double-toothed, softly hairy; heart-shaped base. |
| Flowering | Long yellow male catkins (up to 12 cm) in February–March (February–March). | Yellow, hanging male catkins as early as January–February; tiny red stigmas of the female flowers (January–March). |
| Fruit | Hazelnuts in clusters, each in a deeply cut, curly and hairy husk; smaller and harder than ordinary hazelnuts. | Hazelnuts in a leafy, ragged husk (September). |
| Bark | Pale grey to grey-brown, corky and flaking in small scales. | Glossy grey-brown with pale lenticels. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 15–25 m | Shrub, 3–8 m, multi-stemmed shrub |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, dry | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–March | November–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Hazel is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
- Turkish hazel grows 15–25 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Turkish hazel
- Plant profile: Hazel
- Turkish hazel: when and how to prune
- Hazel: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
- Hazel or alder
- Turkish hazel or hornbeam
- Hazel or hop-hornbeam
- Hazel or elm
- Hazel or filbert
- Hazel or wych elm
- Hazel or winter hazel
- Hazel or witch hazel
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.