Hamamelis virginiana, the Virginian Witch Hazel is a small deciduous tree or shrub, usually around 4-5 m tall x 2.5 m wide, with dense, multi-stemmed growth. It has light brown, smooth to scaly bark and reddish-purple inner bark.
It blooms mid to late autumn with bright yellow, sweetly scented, ribbon-like flowers in clusters.
Uses: Native Americans used boiled stems to treat inflammation and tumors, a practice adopted by early settlers. Witch hazel extract, still used as an astringent, comes from this plant. It contains hamamelitannins, some of which show activity against colon cancer cells. The bark and leaves were also used for external treatments. The wood is hard, reddish brown, and traditionally used for divining rods.
