Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Common Witch hazel: HAMAMELIS virginiana

Native. Zone 3-8. Full Sun-P.Shade. Perennial.

A fall-blooming, deciduous shrub, native to woodlands, forest margins and stream banks in eastern North America. Typically grows 15-20’ tall with a similar spread in cultivation, but can reach 30’ tall in its native habitat. Stem-hugging clusters of fragrant bright yellow flowers, each with four crinkly, ribbon-shaped petals, appear along the branches from October to December, usually after leaf drop but sometimes at the time of fall color. Long history of medicinal uses. Native Americans produced an extract by boiling the stems of the shrub and producing a decoction, which was used to treat swelling, inflammations, and tumors. Early Puritan settlers adopted this remedy, and its use became widely established in the United States.