Side by side
Hazel or wych elm? How to tell them apart
Corylus avellana · Ulmus glabra
How to tell them apart – hazel: round, softly hairy leaf with a heart-shaped base, a multi-stemmed shrub; wych elm: elm with a very large, rough leaf whose lopsided base covers the short leaf stalk, often three points at the tip.
How do you recognise them?
- Hazel
- Round, softly hairy leaf with a short pointed tip; yellow catkins in winter, and hazelnuts.
- Compared with wych elm: round, softly hairy leaf with a heart-shaped base; a multi-stemmed shrub.
- Wych elm
- Elm with a very large, rough leaf whose lopsided base covers the short leaf stalk; often three points at the tip.
| Hazel | Wych elm | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, almost round with a short pointed tip, 6–12 cm, double-toothed, softly hairy; heart-shaped base. | Alternate, 8–16 cm, broadly obovate with a long pointed tip, often with two extra side points; double-toothed. Upper side as rough as sandpaper. The larger half of the leaf covers the very short stalk (2–5 mm) with an ear lobe. |
| Flowering | Yellow, hanging male catkins as early as January–February; tiny red stigmas of the female flowers (January–March). | Clusters of small reddish-purple flowers in February–March, before the leaves (March). |
| Fruit | Hazelnuts in a leafy, ragged husk (September). | Large (1.5–2.5 cm), round winged fruits with the seed in the middle; ripe in May–June. |
| Bark | Glossy grey-brown with pale lenticels. | Smooth and grey for a long time, only later furrowed into broad, shallow ridges; young twigs thick and hairy, without corky ridges. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 3–8 m, multi-stemmed shrub | Broadleaf tree, 20–30 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | 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–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.
- Wych elm grows 20–30 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: Wych elm
- Hazel: when and how to prune
- Wych elm: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.