Witch Hazel Tree

Witch Hazel Plant - Hamamelis is a Fragrant and Beautiful Foliage Shrub

Witch Hazel Shrub is a beautiful addition to any garden. When other plants are preparing for their winter sleep, common witch hazel awakens in a burst of gold foliage and yellow, orange, and red flowers. These flowers have a spidery appearance. The leaves are oval and around 4 inches in length. The eastern variant of the plant most often blooms near the end of winter around mid-January.

Witch Hazel Plant Attracts many Species of Birds and Bees

Both options offer fragrant and beautiful foliage. The fragrance of the plant is a pleasant mix of spicy and herbal. The plant reaches maturity after a year of growth. They have a unique method of seed dispersal where the seed pods explode with an audible pop and fling the seeds up to 40 ft away. Many species of birds enjoy these seeds as food. Bees hunting for food late in the season are also attracted to this fragrant bloomer. Witch hazel’s history and medicinal uses make for good conversation topics. The twigs of the tree were used as dowsing rods by the early settlers of the Americas. Its leaves and bark were boiled and used as an astringent and beauty product by Native Americans. Witch hazel is still used in the same fashion by many people today. This makes it particularly favorite among herbalists for their gardens, but the average person can still enjoy the beauty and fragrance of this shrub. The whimsical witch hazel is sure to brighten up any fall or winter day. These deciduous shrubs grow to a height of 10-25 ft tall at a growth rate of 1-2 ft per year. Pruning this shrub shortly after it flowers will keep growth minimal if space is an issue. The spread of this shrub can reach around 12 ft. They perform best in an area that receives at least 4 hours of sunlight. 

Acid soil is best for them, but they can thrive on neutral ground. When first introducing the plant to an area, it’s good to add organic and compost matter to the field. Once these shrubs are fully settled into your garden, they do not require much tending except in drought-prone areas where watering is needed. 

Witch hazel shrubs, or witch hazels, grow in North America, Japan, and China. The North American variety sometimes referred to as winter bloom. The name derived from the Old English word "wice," which means pliable or bendable. Growing most often as a shrub or sometimes as a small tree, witch hazels usually reach 10 to 25 feet tall. In rare cases, a witch hazel tree may reach 40 feet in height. Most varieties bloom from January to March while the H. Virginiana variety blooms from September to November. The plant flowers range in color from yellow to orange and red.  

 The H. Virginiana variety was previously introduced as a garden shrub when imported from the American colonies. However, the H. Mollis has become more common, and the H. Virginiana is rarely seen in nurseries nowadays. The plant is most widely known for its extract, which is a common, over-the-counter household product that used for a variety of medicinal purposes. Insect bites, psoriasis, eczema, ingrown nails, and prevention of dry skin are a few conditions for which extracts of witch-hazel used. The leaves and bark of the witch hazel shrub used as a cooling agent in cosmetics, creams, and salves.

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