 | Witch Hazel, Common Witch Hazel, Winter Bloom, Spotted-alder, Tobacco-wood, Pistachio, Snappy Hazel, Witch-elm Hamamelis virginiana Hamamelidaceae Common witch hazel is a multi-trunked, rounded shrub or sometimes a small tree that is noted for the yellow flowers that cover the stems in fall. Its dense summer foliage turns to yellow in the fall, and the fragrant flowers can either appear concurrent with the leaves or after they have dropped. It grows in rich, moist soil in woodlands, usually in partial shade, in East Texas and the Eastern and Central U.S. from Florida to Canada. Witch hazel needs moist, well-drained, acidic soil to thrive, but it is somewhat adaptable to neutral soils. There is an isolated population in the Edwards Plateau, in Bandera County, and specimens grown from this stock would be more adapted to the drier, more alkaline soils west of its native habitat. Although witch hazel will grow in full sun, from Central Texas west it needs dappled or partial shade. It is at its best in the landscape in a naturalized setting, allowed to develop its irregular, rounded open crown with large crooked branches. A distillate from the bark was once widely used as an astringent. The seeds are a food source for birds and other wildlife.
Plant Habit or Use: medium shrub
Exposure: sun Flower Color: yellow Blooming Period: fall Fruit Characteristics: woody capsule Height: 10 to 15 feet Width: 10 to 12 feet Plant Character: deciduous Heat Tolerance: low Water Requirements:
Soil Requirements: acid Additional Comments:
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