Hazel Nuts

Look out for hazel nuts. Later empty hazelnut shells may be covered with pretty orange discs on short stems. This is one of many fungi associated with hazel, as is the scarlet elf cup found in leaf litter beneath hazel. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi living in soil and feeding on organic matter and plant roots, while fungi help plants absorb water and nutrients. This is a key fundamental symbiotic relationship in nature between fungi and plants. Other fungi associated with hazel include fiery milkcap, summer truffle and hazel bolete. Having mushrooms in a hedge increases its biodiversity value. Hazel nó coll i nGaeilge is part of our native Irish biodiversity.