Wildflower - Witch-hazel

November is noted for several events, but blooming of wildflowers is not high on the list. Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a small, deciduous tree that produces yellow flowers after most plants have shed their leaves.



The fruit is a hard woody capsule, which splits explosively at the apex at maturity one year after pollination, ejecting the two shiny black seeds.



Witch hazel extract is produced by boiling the stems of the shrub. The extract of the plant is used in the astringent.