Stats

Lifespan: 60-80 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: Europe and western Asia
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Common

About

The common hazel is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub native to Europe and western Asia, best known for producing hazelnuts eaten by wildlife and humans alike. Its distinctive catkins — long, dangling male flowers — appear in late winter before any leaves, earning it the nickname 'lamb's tails'.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fagales
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Corylus
Species: Corylus avellana