The common witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a wonderful native plant. Witch-hazels are not true hazels, Corylus, though the foliage does resemble true hazels. The two genera are not related and belong to different families (Hamamelidaceae vs. Betulaceae).
The genus Hamamelis is made up of five different species most of which are large woody shrubs 10 to 20 feet tall. Hamamelis is made up of two non-native species, Chinese witch-hazel (H. mollis) and Japanese witch-hazel (H. japonica), and three species native to North America, common witch-hazel (H. virginiana), vernal witch-hazel (H. vernalis), and big-leaf witch-hazel (H. ovalis).
Our North American species are more closely related to H. japonica than H. japonica is to H. mollis. This is especially interesting given the geographic proximity of the species. H. virginiana is the species most closely related to H. japonica, with the other North American species diverging from H. virginiana. Based on genetic and fossil data there is strong evidence that North American species diverged from the Japanese species around 7.7-7.1 million years ago through the Bering land bridge. Glaciers pushed the range of our native species south, but the plants have mostly retained their genes for hardiness.
All members of the genus flower in the extremes of the season. H. virginiana, the eastern witch-hazel, flowers from October until December with sulfur yellow petals. The flowers typically appear as the leaves are beginning to fall. Flowers are borne in clusters of three on brown axillary peduncles. There are four strap-shaped petals per flower, 1 mm wide by 10 to 20 mm long. Witch-hazels are pollinated by many different insects including fruit flies, blow flies, wasps, beetles, and bees. Most recently, Bernd Heinrich published an article in Scientific American (1987) in which he describes Hamamelis being pollinated by a few species of owlet moths, a name given to a group of moths in the family Noctuidae. These moths are active during winter, resting during the day during which their body temperature drops to near freezing, and they enter a state of torpor. At night, however, these moths become active by shivering, a process that raises their body temperature by as much as 50 degrees, enabling them to activate their flight muscles. While owlet moths typically feed on sap, they have been observed feeding on flowers.
The floral structures are adapted to insect pollination. The reproductive structures of Hamamelis are small and the anthers are in the pathway that
insects use to gather nectar. This contrasts with plants that are adapted to wind pollination which typically have large, feathery anthers and produce a great amount of pollen. The flowers remain receptive to pollen for long periods of time. These plants have evolved a brilliant adaptation to ensure their genetics are passed on to the next generation—they flower at a time when there is little competition for pollinators.
Moreover, once these plants are pollinated, fertilization doesn’t occur right away as it does for other flowering plants. Rather, it occurs in the spring, and
for our native H. virginiana that's five to seven months after pollination! The fruit is made up of a two-valved capsule containing two shiny black seeds. The seeds are dispersed as the capsule dries, placing pressure on the bottom of the seed. The seeds are shot out of the capsule with such force that they can land up to 40 feet away. The leaves of H. virginiana are medium green with some having a slight blueish cast to the foliage. In the fall the leaves turn a beautiful yellow.
Common witch-hazel can be grown in full sun to part shade, though they flower equally well in either setting. They prefer soils that are moist but well-drained, slightly acidic and high in organic matter. Common witch-hazel is native to moist woods, streambanks, and dry woodland slopes. You can find this plant throughout the gardens at Secrest with the most notable specimen located in the John Streeter Garden Amphitheater. Take one home with you at Plant Discovery Day, May 9, 2026.
Sources:
• Gordon, Ken. Big-leaf witch-hazel. USFS. https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-theweek/
hamamelis_ovalis.shtml
• The State University of New York at Buffalo. How is Witch Hazel Pollinated.
http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~insrisg/nature/nw94/0110WitchHazel2.htm
• Lane, Chris. (2005). Witch Hazels. Timber Press. Royal Horticultural Society. Portland.
–Paul Snyder, Operations Manager snyder1062@osu.edu