The witch-hazels are deciduous shrubs or (rarely) small trees growing to 3 to 7.5 m tall, even more rarely to 12 m tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, oval, 5 to 15 cm long, and 2.5 to 10 cm … See more

The name witch in witch-hazel has its origins in Middle English wiche, from the Old English wice, meaning "pliant" or "bendable", and is not related to the word witch meaning a practitioner of … See more

Five species are recognized:
• Hamamelis japonica Siebold & Zucc. – Japanese witch-hazel
• Hamamelis mollis Oliv. – Chinese witch hazel
• Hamamelis ovalis S.W.Leonard … See more

They are popular ornamental plants, grown for their clusters of rich yellow to orange-red flowers, which begin to expand in the autumn as or slightly before the leaves fall and continue throughout the winter.
Garden shrubs See more

The main phytochemicals in witch-hazel leaves are polyphenols, including 3–10% tannins, flavonoids, and up to 0.5% essential oil, while the bark has a higher tannin content. Hamamelis water, also called white hazel or witch hazel water prepared from a See more

The leaves and bark of the North American witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, are used in folk medicine, herbalism, and skincare decoctions by Native Americans. Extracts of witch-hazel have been claimed to be effective for psoriasis See more

• Fergus, Charles (2002). Trees of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Stackpole Books. pp. 156–9. ISBN 978-0-8117-2092-2.
• Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan. See more