Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) Has Bright Yellow Ribboned Flowers

Summary: Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), a New World native shrub or small tree, produces bright yellow ribboned flowers from mid-autumn to early winter.

witch hazel's bright yellow ribboned flowers in late October, Thain Family Forest, New York Botanical Garden: CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a late-flowering, New World native shrub or small tree that produces fragrant, vibrant yellow ribboned flowers from autumn to early winter.

Witch-hazel is primarily native to eastern North America. The small native tree claims homelands from the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario southward through Florida and westward through the Midwest states of Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri and further west through the Great Plains states of Oklahoma and Texas.

In native habitats, witch-hazel is associated with coniferous and deciduous forests of eastern North America. Witch-hazel appears as a shrub or small tree in the forest understory, the layer of vegetation occurring beneath the main canopy. Forest margins, streamsides and woodlands are preferred habitats.

Witch-hazel thrives in sunny habitats but accepts partial shade. Optimal flowering occurs in sites with full sun.

Soil preferences emphasize acidic, moist, well-drained soils that are organically rich. Witch-hazel is tolerant of heavy clay soils.

Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is one of four North American species in the six-species genus of Hamamelis. The genus is known popularly as the witch-hazels.

Hamamelis virginiana is known commonly as witch-hazel. Other common names include American witchhazel and common witch-hazel. The common name of witch derives from wice, an Old English word meaning “bendable, pliant.”

Trunks emerge from shallow roots. Typical mature heights of 15 to 25 feet (4.5 to 7.5 meters) yield witch-hazel’s classification as a large shrub or a small tree. Branches form a rounded crown.

Short trunks divide into multiple, zigzagging branches. Witch-hazel’s spread, with widths of 15 to 25 feet, echoes its height range.

Bark may be scaly or smooth. Bark on trunks is light brown or gray. Branchlets have reddish brown bark. Peeling off the thin outer bark reveals reddish purple inner bark.

Oval-shaped leaves form alternate arrangements. Leaf edges are scalloped. Leaf length ranges from 3 to 6 inches (7.62 to 15.24 centimeters).

Leaves are medium to deep green in color. In autumn, leaf color changes to golden yellow.

Flowers may open as early as September and last into December. Each fragrant flower features four crinkly, ribboned petals. Floral coloring usually is bright yellow. Occasionally, bloom colors are orange or red.

Fruits appear as greenish seed capsules that contain one to two black, shiny seeds. The capsules harden and turn tan with maturity. Seed capsules wait a year before releasing seeds by spontaneously bursting open, in a process known as dehiscence (Latin: dehiscere, “to burst open, to split apart”). The seed trajectory may measure up to 30 feet (9.14 meters).

Witch hazel seeds are a food source for a variety of wildlife. Birds, such as northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) forage for witch hazel seeds. Small mammals, such as North American beavers (Castor canadensis) and cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.), and large mammals, such as American black bears (Ursus americanus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) include witch hazel seeds in their diets.

Native American ethnobotany recognizes the value of witch hazel as an analgesic (Ancient Greek ἀν-, an-, “without” + ἄλγος, álgos, “pain”), astringent, sedative and tonic in therapeutic remedies. For example, the Cherokee of the southeastern United States prepare an infusion of witch hazel bark as a treatment for tuberculosis. The Iroquois prepare a compound decoction of roots as a panacea. The Potawatomi of the Great Lakes region include twigs in a steambath for treating sore muscles.

Traditional culinary uses gather tree parts for beverages and snacks. A tea may be made from boiled bark and leaves. Seeds are edible, with a taste that is reminiscent of pistachio (Pistacia vera) nuts.

Witch hazel graces private, public and wild landscapes with the interesting architecture of its branches and the vivid yellows presented by autumnal flowers and foliage.

witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) with peak autumnal leaf colors, Marion Brooks Natural Area, Moshannon State Forest, Elk County, northwestern Pennsylvania: Nicholas A. Tonelli (Nicholas_T), via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

witch hazel's bright yellow ribboned flowers in late October, Thain Family Forest, New York Botanical Garden: CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/kpaulus/15400541699/

witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) with peak autumnal leaf colors, Marion Brooks Natural Area, Moshannon State Forest, Elk County, northwestern Pennsylvania: Nicholas A. Tonelli (Nicholas_T), via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholas_t/8064478686/

For further information:

Anzelone, Mariellé. “Native Witch-Hazel.” Brooklyn Botanic Garden > Gardening Resources > Gardening How-tos > Native Flora > Plant Choices. Sept. 9, 2005.
Available @ http://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/winsome_witch-hazel

Coladonato, Milo. “Species: Hamamelis virginiana.” U.S. Forest Service > Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) Database. 1993.
Available @ http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/hamvir/all.html

“Common Witchhazel.” University of Kentucky > Department of Horticulture > Fact Sheet.
Available @ http://www.uky.edu/hort/Common-Witchhazel

Dweck, Anthony C. “Ethnobotanical Use of Plants. Part 4: The American Continent.” Dweck Data.
Available @ http://www.dweckdata.co.uk/Published_papers/American_Indians.pdf

Eastman, John Andrew. The Book of Forest and Thicket: Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers of Eastern North America. Mechanicsburg PA: Stackpole Books, 1992.

Gilman, Edward F., and Dennis G. Watson. "Hamamelis virginiana: Witch-Hazel." University of Florida IFAS (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) Extension > Southern Trees Fact Sheets. November 1993. Revised December 2006.
Available @ http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st294

“Hamamelis virginiana.” Missouri Botanical Garden > Gardens & Gardening > Your Garden > Plant Finder.
Available @ http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a749

Tenaglia, Dan. “Hamamelis virginiana L.” Missouri Plants > Yellow Flowers, Leaves Alternate.
Available @ http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellowalt/Hamamelis_virginiana_page.html

“Witch Hazel Hamamelis virginiana.” Fairfax County Public Schools > Island Creek Elementary School > Study of Northern Virginia Ecology.
Available @ http://www2.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/witch_hazel.htm

“Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana L.).” Nature Labs.
Available @ http://www.thenaturelabs.com/article.php?id=61