Side by side
Hazel or elm? How to tell them apart
Corylus avellana · Ulmus
How to tell them apart – hazel: round, softly hairy leaf, shrubby; elm: double-toothed leaf with a markedly lopsided base, round, flat, winged fruits.
How do you recognise them?
- Hazel
- Round, softly hairy leaf with a short pointed tip; yellow catkins in winter, and hazelnuts.
- Compared with elm: round, softly hairy leaf; shrubby.
- Elm
- Double-toothed leaf with a markedly lopsided base; round, flat, winged fruits.
| Hazel | Elm | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, almost round with a short pointed tip, 6–12 cm, double-toothed, softly hairy; heart-shaped base. | Alternate, oval with a pointed tip, double-toothed; one half of the leaf starts clearly lower on the stalk than the other. Often rough to the touch. |
| Flowering | Yellow, hanging male catkins as early as January–February; tiny red stigmas of the female flowers (January–March). | Small reddish-purple flowers in clusters, as early as February–March, before the leaves (March). |
| Fruit | Hazelnuts in a leafy, ragged husk (September). | Round, flat fruits with a papery wing all round the seed. |
| Bark | Glossy grey-brown with pale lenticels. | Grey-brown, furrowed; some species have corky ridges on the twigs. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 3–8 m, multi-stemmed shrub | Broadleaf tree, 20–35 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for butterflies and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–March | November–February |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
- Elm grows 20–35 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Hazel
- Plant profile: Elm
- Hazel: when and how to prune
- Elm: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.