Item Tag: Fall Color

American Witch Hazel (Witchhazel), Hamamelis virginiana, Tree Seeds Hardy, Adaptable, Easy to Grow, Late Fall Fragrant Flowers, Fall Colors, Bonsai, Attracts birds, Wildlife Food/Shelter, Medicinal, Cold and Urban Tolerant American Witch Hazel is a late fall blooming, deciduous shrub or small tree that is native to woodlands, forest margins and stream banks in Eastern North America. It typically grows 15 to 20 feet tall with a similar spread. Stem-hugging squiggly clusters of fragrant bright yellow flowers, each with four crinkly, ribbon-shaped petals, appear along the branches from October to December, usually after leaf drop but sometimes at the time of fall color. Flowers may be tinged with orange and/or red. Fertilized flowers will form fruit over a long period extending through winter and into the following growing season. Fruits are greenish seed capsules that become woody with age and mature to light brown. Each 1/2 inch oval seed capsule splits open in fall of the following year, exploding the 1 to 2 black seeds within for up to 30 feet. Once the seeds are released, the empty capsules often remain on the plant for one or more additional years. Oval to obovate, medium to dark green leaves to 6 inches long with dentate to wavy margins turn quality shades of yellow in fall. This is usually the last flowering plant to bloom in the year. Witch Hazel is a useful species for shrub borders, forest edge plantings, wildlife habitat enhancement projects, and naturalistic landscaping. The nutty seeds taste sort of like pistachios and were greatly enjoyed by Native Americans. They considered Witch Hazel an important medicinal plant. The bark was used to treat skin ulcers, sores, and tumors. Boiled or steaming twigs were employed to loosen and soothe sore muscles. Witch Hazel tea was taken to stop internal bleeding and to treat dysentery, colds, and coughs. A decoction of leaves and twigs was applied to cuts, bruises, and insect bites. The modern Witch Hazel industry is centered in Connecticut, where the branches are harvested from the wild by cutting them off at ground level in the fall. The bushes resprout so that they can be cut again a few years later. The distilled oil, which is one of the few herbal products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an ingredient in nonprescription drugs, goes into extracts, lotions, and salves for pain relief, skin care, and hemorrhoid treatment. Since its antioxidant, radiation protective, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties have been acknowledged; Witch Hazel may have potential for many more medical applications. For less scientific reasons, forked Witch Hazel branches are also favored as divining rods for locating sources of underground water. Leaf: The alternate leaves emerge from scaleless stalked hairy buds. The leaves are elliptic to nearly circular in shape, and irregularly round toothed along their wavy edges. They are 2 to 6 inches long, nearly as broad, and have 5 to 7 prominent veins. The upper surfaces are usually smooth, but both sides of the leaf may be hairy and the veins typically are. The leaves are a medium green above and paler below during the growing season, then turn a clear yellow in the fall. Flower: Monoecious; bright yellow, with 4, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, very slender petals (look like yellow spiders on plant), appearing in mid to late fall. Fruit: Woody, brown capsule, 1/2 inch long and nearly as wide, containing two shiny black seeds, 1/4 inch long, seeds are forcibly discharged when capsule splits open. Maturing in late summer and old capsules are persistent. Twig: The slender brown zigzag twigs arise from forked flexible branches. They start out covered with gray or rust colored hairs, but become smooth as they harden. Light brown vegetative buds (1/3 inch) are stalked and lack scales (resemble a deer foot, they are actually a tiny folded leaf); flower buds are small, round and occur in tight clusters from short stalks. Bark: The smooth thin bark is light brown, developing rough patches and becoming scaly as the tree ages. Form: A small tree or shrub with arching branches, usually growing in dense multi-stemmed clumps generally reaching up to 20 feet tall. Witch hazel typically is thought of as a coarse-textured broadly rounded shrub with a short trunk and numerous crooked branches. But it can grow into a 20 to 30 feet tree with a trunk diameter of up to 10 inches and an open crown with a spread of 15 to 20 feet. Other Names: Common Witchhazel, Eastern Witchhazel, American witchhazel, Witch-hazel Zone: 3 to 8 Growth Rate: Moderate Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub Family: Hamamelidaceae Native Range: Eastern North America Height: 15 to 20 feet Spread: 15 to 20 feet Shape: Large, crooked, spreading branches forming an irregular, open crown. Bloom Time: October – December Bloom Color: Yellow sometimes tinged with orange or red. Sun: Full Sun to Part shade Fall Color: Showy Yellow Drought Tolerance: Low Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Site Requirements /Soil Tolerances: Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best flowering in full sun. Prefers moist, acidic, organically rich soils. Tolerates heavy clay soils. Culture: Promptly remove suckers to prevent colonial spread. Little pruning is required. Prune in early spring if necessary. Uses: Bonsai, shrub borders, woodland gardens, screen or tall hedge. The aromatic extract of leaves, twigs, and bark is used in mildly astringent lotions and toilet water. Sowing Hamamelis virginiana Seeds: For best results, please follow the instructions in the order provided. Scarify: Soak in water 24 Hours Stratify: Warm 60 days then Cold 90 days, 40 Degrees F in a Moist Medium. Germination: Sow 1/4” DeepFor more information about seed pretreatment and growing trees and shrubs from seed, please download this .pdf:https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2007/08/fcpg018.pdf Germination: Seeds Packets are labeled with seed name and sowing details. Seeds have not been pretreated unless specified in the listing. Seed is not a specific Cultivar (Variety) unless specified in the listing. Due to the many factors involved in successful germination, Seller cannot be responsible for buyers growing methods or mistakes. I have provided what I believe to be a good overview on this page (which you are free to print for further reference), however, it is still recommended to check specialist literature for more details and practices specific to your climate and soil conditions to avoid mistakes in the germination and growing process. Shipping and Discounts: All items are set up to automatically discount as follows: Any promotional offers are discounted by using the “Add to Cart “only.To qualify for any discounts, items must be paid together, on the same eBay invoice.If paid separately, no discounts will be applied though seller reserves the right to ship together.If there are any questions or concerns about the amount due, please message me before paying so I can address all of your concerns before there is a problem. Buyer assumes responsibility once payment has been made. International Buyer’s: It is the buyer’s responsibility to know their countries customs laws. 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