Hamamelis virginiana
Origin: Pennsylvania
Improvement status: Wild
Seeds per packet: ~12
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial
A well-known native medicinal shrub, American witch hazel is also regularly used as a landscaping plant for its striking yellow blossoms which unfurl — by some witchy plant magic — in early winter, just as nearly every other plant is going to sleep. The name is actually said to derive from the long tradition of using a branch of the plant as divining rods for "dowsing" for water (using sticks to divine where the best place is to dig a well, since the twigs are said to bend slightly downward water over a good spot, and the Middle English word "wiche" means "pliant or bendable"!). The plants can reach 15 or 20 feet high and 10 feet wide. It's a charming ornamental, but it's almost miraculous as a medicinal plant. The great people at Plants for a Future (PFAF.org) have amassed this long list of the ample medicinal qualities of witch hazel:
“Witch hazel bark is a traditional herb of the North American Indians who used it to heal wounds, treat tumors, eye problems etc. A very astringent herb, it is commonly used in the West and is widely available from both herbalists and chemists. It is an important ingredient of proprietary eye drops, skin creams, ointments and skin tonics. It is widely used as an external application to bruises, sore muscles, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, sore nipples, inflammations, etc. The bark is astringent, haemostatic, sedative and tonic. Tannins in the bark are believed to be responsible for its astringent and haemostatic properties. Bottled witch hazel water is a steam distillate that does not contain the tannins from the shrub; this is less effective in its action than a tincture. The bark is used internally in the treatment of diarrhea, colitis, dysentery, hemorrhoids, vaginal discharge, excessive menstruation, internal bleeding and prolapsed organs. Branches and twigs are harvested for the bark in the spring. An infusion of the leaves is used to reduce inflammations, treat piles [hemorrhoids], internal hemorrhages and eye inflammations. The leaves are harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use. A homeopathic remedy is made from fresh bark. It is used in the treatment of nosebleeds, piles and varicose veins.”
Enjoy this stunner for its utility and its beauty!
These Pennsylvania-ecotype seeds come to us from the good folks at Sheffield's Seeds in Locke, NY.
GROWING TIPS: Soak seeds for 24 hours then warm-moist stratify for 120 days and cold stratify for 90 days. Sowing outdoors in the late summer or fall may also be effective. Choose a well-drained spot with dappled sun for best results. Can do OK in full sun and full shade too, but won't grow as fast.
