Taxonomy
Corylus avellana | Hazel | Coll
Distribution
Status
Conservation status
Not protected
Native status
Native
Species Biology
Identification
Flowers: February–April; catkins
Fruits: Hazelnut
Twigs & bark: Twigs hairy; bark pale brown, smooth
Habitat
Woods, scrub, hedgerows, especially on limestone
Life cycle
Perennial
Ex-situ conservation
Not known
Use
Thatching
Vegetative nature
Woody
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Irish distribution
Widespread and common, also widely planted
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2025
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Further information
Used for food, thatching & charcoal. Hazel rods were woven into panels for wattle and daub walls as early as 6000BC. The legendary Salmon of Knowledge ate 9 hazelnuts of poetic wisdom, each nut is said to have become a spot on the salmon's skin.
An understory tree in woods, but also dominant
in hazel scrub such as in the Burren. Often coppiced for basket weaving due to the
flexibility of the branches