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Catalog Data

Life Form:
Deciduous shrub/sub-shrub
Average Height:
15-20' (4.6-6.1 meters)
Bark Characteristics:
Gray to light brown
Bloom Characteristics:
Clusters of yellow flowers grow along stems. Have 4 crinkly, ribbon-like petals.
Fall Color:
Yellow
Foliage Characteristics:
Simple, alternate, oval and irregular leaves with wavy or toothed margins. 6" (15.25 cm) long.
Fruit Characteristics:
Greenish seed capsules become woody over the corse of a growing season and mature to light brown. Split open in the fall of the next year. Propels 1-2 black seeds up to 30 feet (9.1 meters) away.
Structure:
Irregular, rounded
Range:
E Canada to Central and E USA and NE Mexico
Habitat:
Riparian, 0-4920ft (0-1500m)
Description:
This native North American witch hazel is most frequently seen in its extracted form on pharmacy shelves. In the forest, it grows as a bushy tree or shrub which blooms with vibrant, confetti-like yellow flowers in the late fall to early winter. The fruit of this tree is unique in that it matures over the course of a year, and then in the fall of the next year, splits open and shoots its one to two seeds up to 30 feet.
Hardiness:
-40 - 20 F
Attracts:
Bees; birds
Bloom Time:
October to December
Medicinal / Pharmaceutical:
Witchhazel extract is distilled from the bark of young stems and roots. Leaves were used by some Native Americans.
Provenance:
Uncertain
Topic:
Display Gardens  Search this
Living Collections  Search this
Common Name:
American witch hazel
Common witch-hazel
Snapping hazel nut
Spotted alder
Group:
[vascular plants]
Class:
Equisetopsida
Subclass:
Magnoliidae
Superorder:
Saxifraganae
Order:
Saxifragales
Family:
Hamamelidaceae
Genus:
Hamamelis
Species:
virginiana
Accession Number:
2011-0300A
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
Smithsonian Gardens Display Collection
On Display:
Anacostia Community Museum
Data Source:
Smithsonian Gardens
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ax70b1b22ea-a020-4d2b-ad87-fe21f07a5df6
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:ofeo-sg_2011-0300A