Hamamelis virginiana, known as听witch-hazel,听common witch-hazel,听American witch-hazel听and听beadwood,听is a species of flowering shrub native to eastern听, from听听west to听, and south to central听听to eastern听.
Description
It is a small,听听听or shrub growing up to 6 m (rarely to 10 m) tall, often with a dense cluster of stems from its base. The听听is light brown, smooth, scaly, inner bark reddish purple. The听听are听听at first, later smooth, light orange brown, marked with occasional white dots, finally dark or reddish brown. The foliage buds are acute, slightly听, downy, light brown. The听听are oval,听3.7鈥�16.7听cm (1+7鈦�16鈥�6+9鈦�16听in) long and听2.5鈥�13听cm (1鈥�5+1鈦�8听in) broad, oblique at the base, acute or rounded at the apex, with a wavy-toothed or shallowly lobed margin, and a short, stout听听6鈥�15听mm (0.24鈥�0.59听in) long; the听听is more or less hairy, stout, with six to seven pairs of primary veins. The young leaves open听, covered with stellate rusty down; when full grown, they are dark green above, and paler beneath. In fall, they turn yellow with rusty spots. The leaf听听are听, acute; they fall soon after the leaf expands.
The听听are pale to bright yellow, rarely orange or reddish, with four ribbon-shaped听听1鈥�2听cm (1鈦�2鈥�3鈦�4听in) long and four short stamens, and grow in clusters; flowering begins in about mid-fall and continues until late fall. The flower听听is听听in bud, deeply four-parted, very downy, and orange brown within. The calyx and the pollinated听听are听听during the winter months. Two or three bractlets appear at base. The听听is a hard woody听听10鈥�14听mm (0.39鈥�0.55听in) long, which splits explosively at the apex at maturity one year after pollination, ejecting the two shiny black听听up to 10听m (33听ft) distant from the parent plant. It can be distinguished from the related听听by its flowering in fall, not winter.
