Witch Hazel, Virginian Witch Hazel
Hamamelis virginiana

Family: Hamamelidaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It has many trunks. It has an open upright habit. It grows 3.5-6 m high. The trunks can be 1 cm across. The trunk is leaning and crooked. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are alternate, simple and have teeth along the edge. The leaves are dark green and broadly oval. They are wavy along the edge. They are 6-15 cm long. They turn yellow and fall in autumn. The flowers are small and twisted. They are yellow and have a scent. The flowers occur in clusters of 3 in the axils of leaves. The fruit are small capsules. They are beaked and woody. They are hairy and orange. They contain 2 black seeds. They mature and split open in about one year. The seeds are ejected forcibly and the capsules remain.

There are about 6 Hamamelis species. Witch Hazel solution is used in medicine.

Where it is found

A temperate plant. It grows in moist, shaded sites as an understorey tree. It suits hardiness zones 7-9. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Balkans, Britain, Canada, Europe, Macedonia, Mexico, North America, Slovenia, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten. The leaves are used for tea. They are sweetened with maple sugar.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves - tea

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. Germination can take a year. Plants can also be grown from cuttings, grafting or budding.

Its other names

Local names

Viržinski nepozebnik

Synonyms

Hamamelis macrophylla;