Hazel

Hazel: Corylus avellana

Hazel These wild flowers are one of the first signs of spring. Hazel grows widely in our woodland and hedges. It is often coppiced (or has been in the past) leading to multi-stemmed bushes. The catkins contain the male flowers, and shed copious amounts of yellow pollen, which is wind-borne. The female flowers are tiny, and look like little red brushes: these "brushes" are the stigmas on which the pollen will land to fertilise the female flowers, which ultimately develop into the familiar hazel nuts (which the squirrels usually eat!).