Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Safe

Can Alpacas Eat Hazel?

Hazel (Corylus avellana) — a shrub. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team
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Yes — hazel is safe for alpacas.

It is acceptable forage or browse in normal amounts.

Hazel (Corylus avellana)
Hazel (Corylus avellana). Photo: MPF, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Safe
Scientific name
Corylus avellana
Family
Betulaceae
Plant type
Shrub
Also known as
Hazelnut, Filbert, European hazel, Common Hazel, common hazel, Cobnut

Feeding notes

Safe browse; a favorite hedgerow plant for camelids in Europe.

How to offer it

  1. Introduce any new forage or browse gradually over a week or two.
  2. Make sure it is fresh — avoid moldy, wilted piles or plants sprayed with herbicide.
  3. Keep a balanced diet: grass or hay first, with a camelid mineral available.

About the plant

Corylus avellana, the common hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the birch family Betulaceae. The shrubs usually grow 3–8 metres tall. The nut is round, in contrast to the longer filbert nut. Common hazel is native to Europe and Western Asia.From Wikipedia — “Corylus avellana”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 1,440,082 recorded observations of Corylus avellana L. worldwide, including 1,042 in the United States. It belongs to the Betulaceae family, together with Alder. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Can alpacas eat hazel?
Yes. Safe browse; a favorite hedgerow plant for camelids in Europe.
How much hazel can an alpaca eat?
As part of a varied diet based on grass or grass hay, it can be eaten freely. Introduce new browse gradually.

Keeping pastures safe

  • Walk every paddock and fence line each season and remove toxic plants, including roots.
  • Never throw garden, hedge or lawn clippings over the fence.
  • Check pastures after storms for fallen branches (cherry, red maple).
  • Buy hay from known sources and inspect it for weeds.
  • Keep pastures well managed — hungry alpacas eat plants they would normally avoid.

Browse the full toxic plant checker, the printable list of poisonous plants and the list of safe plants.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.

Data: plant status compiled from veterinary toxicology references (see sources); taxonomy and occurrences from GBIF; identifiers from Wikidata Q124969.