Hamamelis virginiana
Flower of the American Witch Hazel
What shrub is blooming at this time of year? It is Hamamelis virginiana or American witch hazel. Blooming in October and November after the yellow Autumn leaves begin to drop, it is one of the last shrubs to flower. The fragrant yellow flower petals look like crumpled shredded ribbon. Seed capsules take one year to mature and are expelled explosively from the capsule in the fall. This is a deciduous multi-stemmed shrub or small tree that is an eastern North American native which normally grows 15-20’ tall but can reach 30’. It grows in full sun to part shade at the edge of woodlands and prefers moist soil. Pruning needs are minimal, normally to keep the shape, and if needed should be done early spring. This shrub is very adaptable to the home landscape. Native Americans and early European settlers used the forked branch as a divining or witching rod to find underground sources of water. The extract of leaves, twigs, and bark is use in astringent lotions.
Go Native!
Monroe County Master Gardener Association 
At our MG training in 2009 we did a class at Hidden Lake Gardens when one of the witch hazels there was blooming. I took a cutting but it didn’t root. I think these shrubs are so cool – they add interest during seasons that are gray and “blech” – they are beautiful in their unique way and smell marvelous. I’d like one for my yard.
Yes, me too, I’ve been looking out for one. We saw the one at Hidden Lake Gardens in March. It was in bloom. Do they rebloom, or are there varities that bloom at different times? Could they possibly keep those blooms all winter? Tell us more. The fragrance is wonderful…it draws you in…So few nurseries carry them.
Welcome aboard naturale 12!
I am so glad Paul is writing for the blog. Your gardening expertise and plant knowledge is most welcome. I hope you can find the time to write further articles about your magnificent garden along the River Raisin.
Witch hazel was one of those magical “must-haves” my mother stocked in her medicine cabinet, along with iodine, calamine lotion, castor oil and asprin. It was only much later that I learned that it was part of her night-time routine of cold cream and astringent that gave a marvelous glow to her Irish skin.
For you 7.30 am blogistas…I will save you the Google search time, and share with you some of my favorite plant ID sites.
(1) http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=HAVI4
( this is the Ladybird Johnson wildflower center at U of T in Austin…an
excellent database for all native flowering plants.)
(2) http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/h/hamvir/hamvir1.html
(my favorite site for a full, concise summary of plant characteristics, with
photos of all stages.)
(3) http://www.plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HAVI4
(USDA site – good photo of exploded seed pod, seeds and taxonomy.)
(4) http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=A749
( Kemper botanical gardens – the definitive site for plant ID and info.)
(5) http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch-hazel.
( brief history and overview of other species)
(6) http://www.arborday.org
(sells the plant for $10.50 – just don’t sign up for their “plant deals”
which can be disappointing.)
Uconn has an excellent photo of the yellow late fall foliage, tinged with red – and it is very showy. The Arbor Day folks say the fragrant flowers bloom from Oct-Dec and is an excellent shrub filler for large areas.
This could be a plant we could grow from seed and share within ourselves! It will have a place in my garden. Thanks for the post.
Frank
Nice post, Paul! I wondered who had posted the witch hazel. There are fall-blooming witch hazels, including our native H. virginiana and spring bloomers including H. vernalis , native farther south but hardy here, chinese H. mollis and hybrids of both.
The trouble with the fall blooming one in a landscape is that the bloom is so easy to overlook when there are so many yellow leaves about, including its own.
Most years, while attending the MI Herb Conference held at MSU in March, the spring blooming witch hazel is a welcome site. It is located between Wells Hall and the student union.