Fruit · Betulaceae family
common hazel
Corylus avellana
In short a 10-second read
Common hazel (fruit) grows to 3.7–6.1 m tall and 2.5–4.6 m wide when mature. It grows best in full sun to part shade, in average soil. It flowers in February–March; the flowers are yellow. Plant out in October–April. Hardy to −34 °C.
× spread 2.5–4.6 m
Where to plant
Sun, soil, frost.
It grows best in full sun to part shade, in average soil. Hardy to −34 °C.
Sun
Tolerates several positions — choose to suit the rest of the garden.
Soil and water
average · watering: moderate
Soil: humus-rich, loamy, gravelly
Soil pH 6–8.5
Frost
It copes with a normal winter outdoors.
How much space it takes
Mature size.
The mature plant next to a person (175 cm).
Next to a person
Reaches maturity in about 5–10 years. The final size depends on the cultivar and the spot — we give the range from smallest to largest.
Calendar
What to do and when.
Months for Central Europe. The line shows the current month.
The year at a glance
Flowers
February–March · yellow
Pruning
thin out old stems (December–February)
Planting out
container plant: October–April
Winter protection
not needed
Overwintering
It copes with winter on its own.
It overwinters outdoors without protection, hardy to −34 °C.
- Needs no protection
- Hardy to −34 °C
- Deciduous — bare in winter
Frequently asked
Quick answers.
When does common hazel flower?
In February–March; the flowers are yellow.
Does common hazel tolerate shade?
It tolerates part shade (3–6 hours of sun), but not full shade.
How much space does common hazel need?
At maturity 2.5–4.6 m wide and 3.7–6.1 m tall; recommended spacing 350 cm.
Does common hazel survive winter outdoors?
Yes, without protection, hardy to −34 °C.
Where the data comes from
We compared the data in 19 expert sources. Last checked 17 October 2026.
Show sources (19)
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Corylus avellana
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Corylus avellana
- Oregon State University Landscape Plants — Corylus avellana
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Corylus avellana
- GBIF Occurrence Search API — Corylus avellana
- Wikidata (CC0) — Corylus avellana
- EPPO Global Database — Corylus avellana
- Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) — Pollenflug-Gefahrenindex: „Vorhersage der Pollenbelastung für acht der allergologisch bedeutsamsten Pollen in Deutschland: Hasel
- Stiftung Deutscher Polleninformationsdienst (PID) — Pollenflugkalender: „Die für Pollenallergiker wichtigen Pollenarten sind die Pollen von Hasel
- RHS - Corylus avellana
- RHS - Trees and shrubs: planting
- Clemson HGIC - Planting Trees Correctly
- Invasive plant lists — this species is not on them: EASIN, EU, Slovakia, Czechia, Germany, Poland, Denmark
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