March Plant of the Month: Witch Hazel

Submitted by the Bath Gamma Garden Club

American witch hazel is a large native shrub that provides stunning fall leaf color. It is best known for its yellow-fringed flowers that appear in late fall and remain on the branches well into the cold winter months. Witch hazel is host to numerous small moths including the Witch Hazel Dagger moth. It is also beneficial to birds that are attracted to the seedpods. Early spring is a great time to plant this cold hardy shrub. Allow for plenty of space when planting, and don’t plant too close to the house foundation. 

You might think that the name witch hazel has its origins in characters that ride on brooms. According to folklore, early settlers witnessed Native Americans using the forked branches to find sources of water underground. This practice was called “water witching.” 

Early settlers would use extracts from the bark of the shrubs to make mild astringents to treat everything from acne to eczema. They brewed teas from the leaves and bark to treat colds, coughs and fevers. Chemists have identified properties such as anti-viral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Witch hazel is commonly used today in many ointments, soaps and lotions to treat skin irritations and other ailments. 

American witch hazel grows as a large shrub or small tree with a multi-stemmed trunk and spreading branches that form an irregular, open crown. Mature height ranges from 10 to 20 feet, with 15 feet being typical. The average spread is about 15 to 20 feet. This shrub likes rich, loamy, moist soil conditions, but does not tolerate extreme wet or soggy conditions. Acidic to neutral soil is best, however it can acclimate to varying acidic to alkaline soil pH levels. Good drainage and moist conditions are essential, as is regular watering to establish young plants when there is insufficient rainfall. Top dressing with a layer of organic mulch on top of the soil will help retain healthy moisture levels.

Full to partial sun is ideal for witch hazel plants. Witch hazel will tolerate some shade, particularly in climates with hot afternoon sun. North side facings provide an ideal location. It is considered a good understory shrub in a woodland setting. Blooms typically last for eight weeks from October to March, depending on the cultivar. 

The flowers have a lemon-zesty fragrance and have strappy, wispy petals that look like hairy spider legs. Petal colors range from yellow to orange to red depending on the cultivar. In freezing temperatures, the flowers adapt by curling up. Adding compost is a good method of fertilizing witch hazel. In addition, add a well-balanced liquid fertilizer in the summer months for extra nutrients.

Since they bloom at a time when butterflies have migrated south, and the bees are hibernating for winter, witch hazel is pollinated at night by owlet moths. These winter moths have the ability to shiver violently to raise their body temperatures by as much as 50 degrees in order to fly in search of food. The fruit produced is a hard woody capsule, which splits and explosively ejects two shiny black seeds up to 30 feet from the parent plant. The distinct sound made by the exploding seedpod has given witch hazel the nickname of “snapping hawthorn.” It takes two years for the seeds to germinate and begin a new plant.

Occasional pruning can help maintain a clean shape and encourage blooming. Prune after blooming to promote next year’s bud growth. Witch hazel tends to produce suckers. Remove suckers by cutting them back at the base of the plant or dig them from the base of the plant in early spring and plant elsewhere to start new shrubs. Keep the parent root system intact. Witch hazel branches can be cut off right before blooming and brought indoors to bloom as cut stems in a vase. Make a diagonal slice at the bottom of the branch and place in warm filtered water. 

Witch hazel is resistant to most pests and diseases. Aphids, leaf spot and powdery mildew may attack the shrub, but do not do any significant damage. They are also resistant to deer.‘Arnold Promise,’ is a popular variety of witch hazel available at most garden centers. It features fragrant light yellow late-winter blooms with red and yellow fall color. It grows 15-20 feet tall. 

Photo caption: Witch hazel flowers have wispy petals that look like hairy spider legs. Photo submitted