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| Location |
| Between mile markers 1.0 and 1.25 |
| Fact about this tree and why it was chosen |
| Witch hazel is a common, clump forming, understory tree that rarely reaches 25 feet. This tree in particular is larger than most you will encounter on the St. Bonaventure loop of the Allegheny River Valley Trail. |
| Latin name |
| Hamamelis virginiana |
| Fun facts |
- The witch hazel has a lengthy and well documented history of use in North America. Native Americans boiled twigs to produce a remedy for a variety of skin irritations. Early European settlers adopted this tradition which continues today; it is common for modern households to have a bottle of witch hazel extract in the medicine cabinet specifically for use as an astringent and skin cleanser.
- Witch hazel bark contains hamamelitannin, which has shown promise as a treatment for colon cancer.
- The common name ‘witch hazel’ is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “wicke” meaning ‘to bend’. Forked witch hazel branches have been used extensively as divining rods in search of underground springs or other valuable materials.
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How to identify this tree: |
| Leaf |
| Witch hazel is easily identified by its asymmetric, wavy-edged, egg-shaped leaves. In autumn, long after many deciduous trees have shed their leaves, the witch hazel blooms. |
| Soil |
| Witch hazel grows best in slightly acidic, well drained soils, but is tolerant of neutral, finely-grained soils. |
| Flower and Fruit |
| The flowers, scented much like lemon zest, are pollinated by moths and have four narrow yellow petals. Fruiting capsules from the previous year’s flowers mature concurrently with the present year’s bloom. These split and explosively fire two black seeds many yards, giving the tree one of its alternate common names, snapping hazel. The remnants of these capsules are present year-round. |
| Other |
| The witch hazel is one of three members of its genus in North America. Whereas witch hazel is native to nearly all of eastern North America, its relatives, the springtime witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) and the witch alder (Hamamelis ovalis) are restricted to southern climates; neither grows north of Virginia. |