American Witch Hazel
Hamamelis virginiana
Fragrant late-fall blooms after the leaves drop. A tea is brewed from the leaves and twigs; reports of the seeds being edible trace to a single old, questionable source and aren't well corroborated. Avoid concentrated, long-term use of any preparation — high tannin content carries a cancer-risk caution.
- Family
- Hamamelidaceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 15–20 ft
- Spacing
- 15–20 ft apart
- Light
- part shade, shade
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- acidic
- Bloom
- September, October, November, December
- Bloom colors
- orange, yellow, green, brown
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, songbirds
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~63 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- specimen, hedge or screen
- Native states
- AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV