SafePlants

American Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Considerations for Pets

• This plant is a shrub or small tree, so it might be accessible to pets in gardens or natural settings.

Considerations for Children

• The fruits release small, black seeds.

Common Names

• Common Witch-hazel
• American Witch-hazel
• Winterbloom
• Virginian Witchhazel
• Witchhazel
• Spotted Alder
• Striped Alder
• Snapping Hazel

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Hamamelis virginiana L.
• Family: Hamamelidaceae (Witch-hazel family)
• Genus: Hamamelis (Latin from the Greek meaning a kind of medlar or service tree)
• Synonyms: Hamamelis virginiana var. parvifolia Nutt.

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia westwards.
• Found in woodlands, forest margins, and stream banks.
• Common understory tree.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• A tall shrub or small tree, sometimes reaching 12 to 20 feet in height.
• Deciduous.
• Often multi-stemmed with twisted branching trunks.
• Leaves are large, roundish, and wavy-margined, or with a few large, irregular blunt teeth. Leaves are simple and alternate.
• Flowers are fragrant and yellow, with four ribbon-like petals, appearing in late October or early November. Flowers often grow in clusters along the branches.
• Fruits release small, black seeds.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Fragrant yellow flowers that open in late October or early November provide nectar for migrating insects.
• Grows underneath oaks, hickories, American Elm, and Red Maple.

Quirky Facts

• A myth of witchcraft held that a forked branch of Witch-hazel could be used for dowsing.
• It blooms later in the calendar year than almost any other native woody species.

Traditional Uses

• Native Americans brewed a medicinal tea with its leaves and used the leaves and bark as a poultice to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Further Information

• NYPP (www.nyphenology.org)
• USA-NPN (www.usanpn.org)
• Encyclopedia of Life
• Discover Life