Photo: This image is created by user B. Schoenmakers at Waarneming.nl, a source of nature observations in the Netherlands. · CC BY 3.0 ↗

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ShrubsWild and cultivated

Corylus avellana

Hazel

Yellow late-winter catkins, broad summer leaves and autumn nuts reward repeat visits to the same hazel clump.

See all four seasons Explore fruits, seeds & edibility ↓ Where to look & how to find it ↓

Some plants are poisonous. Do not identify by a photograph alone, and never taste them.

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Habitat first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Catkins in late winter and early spring; nuts in autumn.
Where to start: Irish broadleaf woodland edges, including the extensive hazel scrub of the Burren.
What to do when you arrive: In late winter, find long male catkins, then look for tiny red female flowers. From paths in summer and autumn, check rounded leaves and husked nuts without shaking branches.

Habitat and behaviour reference: Tree Council of Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

What does the map mark?

Markers show approximate public destinations or visitor bases, not individuals, nests, rare plants or exact entrances. Follow the operator’s routes and signs for access.

Base map: Natural Earth · Public domain
Destination positions: © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL

Muckross base · Reenadinna public woodland walk

Operator or specialist guide

NPWS explicitly names Yew, Hazel, Ash and Holly in the yew woodland, reached by an official walk. The marker is only the Muckross visitor base, not an individual tree location.

Before you goUse official routes such as Arthur Young’s Walk and current notices, staying on paths to protect moss and roots. Gardens have separate hours; woodland routes may close for flooding, falling branches or management. Do not collect plants.

Official routes & visiting information ↗ Find the destination on OpenStreetMap ↗
Destination evidence & review date

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-20 · A review date is not a sighting date; recheck access before travelling.

ONE PLANT · FOUR SEASONS

One plant. Four seasons.

Look beyond the flowers: fresh leaves, fruits, bare stems and dormancy.

Meteorological seasons: spring March–May, summer June–August, autumn September–November and winter December–February. Irish weather, cultivar, pruning and plant age affect timing and appearance.

Photos illustrate the relevant feature, not the same plant photographed through a year in Ireland. Features shared across seasons, such as evergreen leaves, may use the same reference. Missing reliable photos are marked; dormancy is not death.

Spring

Mar–May

Flowers

Hanging yellow male catkins and tiny red female flowers can appear before the leaves.

Summer

Jun–Aug

Foliage and growth

Broad toothed leaves form dense bushes with green nuts hidden among them.

Autumn

Sep–Nov

Fruits

Nuts brown and ripen as leaves yellow; wildlife may quickly remove them.

Winter

Dec–Feb

Shoots and buds

Bare twigs carry not-yet-elongated catkins, beginning to flower in late winter.

Seasonal references: Tree Council of Ireland ↗ · Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

FRUIT · SEED · FOOD SAFETY

Fruits, seeds & edibility

Know the structure, then the part. Recognising a plant does not make it food.

Fruit

Hazel · Unripe hazelnuts in green husks, not shelled kernels. — Unripe hazelnuts in green husks, not shelled kernels.
This image is created by user B. Schoenmakers at Waarneming.nl, a source of nature observations in the Netherlands. · CC BY 3.0 ↗ License terms

Hazelnuts are true nuts with a hard fruit wall and leafy outer husks, turning brown when ripe.

Food use of this part: The kernel is the food part, not the shell or husk

Seeds & dispersal units

Hazel · Hazelnuts and shelled kernels, with one kernel also peeled. — Hazelnuts and shelled kernels, with one kernel also peeled.
Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ License terms

The kernel inside the hard shell is the seed; the green husk is not a seed coat.

Food use of this part: Recorded food use; identity, sourcing and individual risks still matter

Some seed references show intact one-seeded fruits or dispersal units, as identified in their captions. A whole-fruit photo is not a close-up of the enclosed seed. Cones and arils are not true fruits of flowering plants.

Sources & limitations

Tree Council of Ireland ↗ · Botanical description, not proof of food safety
NC State Extension · Plant Toolbox ↗

No field detoxification methods or safe doses are provided. Never taste a plant to identify it or eat treated or contaminated specimens. Seek professional help after suspected accidental ingestion. National Poisons Information Centre, Ireland ↗

Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

BOTANICAL NOTESPlant notes

How to identify it

Often multi-stemmed, with rounded to heart-shaped doubly toothed leaves. Long male catkins contrast with tiny red female stigmas.

Where it grows

Woodland understorey, hedges, limestone scrub and gardens.

Growth and ecology

A wind-pollinated deciduous shrub; nuts feed small mammals and birds.

Flowering and seasons

Catkins in late winter and early spring; nuts in autumn.

Where to look

Irish broadleaf woodland edges, including the extensive hazel scrub of the Burren.

Seasons vary with weather and location. Suggested habitats are places to look, not guaranteed sightings. Photos show only some features; check leaves, flowers, fruits and specialist references together.

Further reading:Tree Council of Ireland ↗

Photo license: This image is created by user B. Schoenmakers at Waarneming.nl, a source of nature observations in the Netherlands. · CC BY 3.0 ↗ · License terms ↗
Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

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