HazelAaron Liston, CC BY 4.0
Hazel
HornbeamDrepanostoma, CC BY 4.0
Hornbeam
Lookalikes

Hazel or hornbeam?

Both grow in the same woods, with toothed leaves.

The quickest check

The quickest check is the leaf texture. Hazel: soft, floppy and hairy on both sides. Hornbeam: firm and matt, creased by deep-set veins. No leaves on the tree? Check what holds each nut.

At a glance

Look atHazelHornbeam
Leaf textureSoft, floppy and hairy on both sidesFirm and matt, creased by deep-set veins
What holds each nutA ragged leafy husk as long as the nutA three-lobed leafy flap 2.5 to 4 cm long
Where the stems meet the groundA ring of slender stems from one baseA ridged trunk under a broad crown
When the catkins hangJanuary to March, on bare stemsApril and May, among open leaves

Four ways to tell them apart

Leaf textureLeaves
HazelSoft, floppy and hairy on both sides
HornbeamFirm and matt, creased by deep-set veins
What holds each nutNuts
Hazel: what holds each nutDavid Ashcroft, CC BY 4.0
HazelA ragged leafy husk as long as the nut
Hornbeam: what holds each nut
HornbeamA three-lobed leafy flap 2.5 to 4 cm long
Where the stems meet the groundShape
Hazel: where the stems meet the groundAaron Liston, CC BY 4.0
HazelA ring of slender stems from one base
Hornbeam: where the stems meet the groundDrepanostoma, CC BY 4.0
HornbeamA ridged trunk under a broad crown
When the catkins hangCatkins
HazelJanuary to March, on bare stems
HornbeamApril and May, among open leaves
Think you can tell them apart now? Try the tree quiz: real photographs, and what gives each tree away.Take the quiz

The two trees

Hazel

Corylus avellana

Hazel is a shrub or small tree with many stems rising from the ground, common in hedges and woods. Its soft leaves are nearly round and end in a sudden sharp point.

How to identify hazel →

Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus

Hornbeam is a broad, dense tree, often clipped as a hedge. Its smooth grey trunk is ridged like muscle, with wriggling silver or orange marks running up it.

How to identify hornbeam →

Their other lookalikes

HazelAlderHazel or alder?Quickest check: the tip of a leafHazelCommon beechHazel or common beech?Quickest check: the tip of a leafHazelWych elmHazel or wych elm?Quickest check: the base of the leafHornbeamCommon beechHornbeam or common beech?Quickest check: the trunk surfaceHornbeamCommon whitebeamHornbeam or common whitebeam?Quickest check: the trunkHornbeamField elmHornbeam or field elm?Quickest check: the leaf surfaceHornbeamWych elmHornbeam or wych elm?Quickest check: the older trunkHornbeamSweet chestnutHornbeam or sweet chestnut?Quickest check: the leaf length
In the app

See them side by side in Treely

  • Both trees, part by partLeaves, bark, buds, flowers and fruit, photographed through the year
  • Every lookalike side by sideThe checks that settle it, for every pair people mix up
  • A short round each dayUntil you can tell them apart at a glance
  • The full GuideBoth trees written up in full, with where to find them
App StoreGoogle Play

Free to download.

Every fact on this page is checked against the Collins Tree Guide, last in November 2026. Spotted something that looks wrong in front of a real tree? Tell us. How we check.

Photographs: Aaron Liston (CC BY 4.0), Drepanostoma (CC BY 4.0), David Ashcroft (CC BY 4.0), anniet39 (CC0). With thanks to everyone who shares their photographs on iNaturalist and Wikimedia Commons.