Hamamelis virginiana, commonly known as American Witchhazel or Common Witchhazel, is a small deciduous tree that grows up to 20 ft tall, offering visual interest and beauty to landscapes. It has durable, hard fruit capsules that eject two shiny black seeds up to 30 ft distant from the parent plant. This tree produces fragrant yellow flowers from October to December, often while the leaves are turning yellow in the fall. Native Americans boiled the stems of this tree to produce a decoction that was used to treat inflammation, tumors, and swelling. The extract of this plant is used as an ingredient in almost any treatment made to relieve blood vessel weaknesses. It can be grown as a large shrub or small tree and is used as a rootstock for other ornamental species. The branches have been used for water divining, and its wood is heavy and close-grained. American Witchhazel is native to eastern North America and is widely established in the United States. It competes with and inhibits seed germination of intolerant species, making it a secondary colonizer, but it is a great specimen to plant in large areas as an under-story or for a shrub border. With its fantastic fall attributes, American Witchhazel will be a beautiful addition to any garden or landscape.
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