What is Witch Hazel?

James M Hoskins

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Aug 11, 1993, 4:24:43 PM8/11/93

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Can anyone describe the witch hazel plant?

I was give a bottle of Witch Hazel as a gift. It's
to be utilized as an aftershave I would gather from
reading the label.

Ingredients listed are: 85% extract of witch hazel
15% alcohol.

Thanks,

JH

hpctdfc

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Aug 11, 1993, 4:48:15 PM8/11/93

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James M Hoskins (jhos...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu) wrote:

: Can anyone describe the witch hazel plant?

Nope, I just know it has yellow flowers that bloom in late fall.

: I was give a bottle of Witch Hazel as a gift. It's

: to be utilized as an aftershave I would gather from
: reading the label.

My mom used to use it when giving back rubs to my dad!
He never used it as an after shave.

Rick

HINTON, JOHNNY ZANE

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Aug 12, 1993, 9:17:00 AM8/12/93

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Well there is a plant that I'm familiar with that grows in
the Southeastern Evergreen forested region and I have seen
it as far west as Texas, called withc hazel _Hammamelis_
_vernalis_ (I think that's right). It is mostly a low
growing woody plant with small (alternate - I think) roundish
(about the size of a golf ball) leaves that have an undulated
margin. Most I have seen are 2 feet tall or so.

John Z

Karen Kolling

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Aug 12, 1993, 11:26:17 AM8/12/93

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In article <12AUG199...@zeus.tamu.edu> jzh...@zeus.tamu.edu (HINTON, JOHNNY ZANE) writes:
>>Can anyone describe the witch hazel plant?
>>
>>I was give a bottle of Witch Hazel as a gift. It's
>>to be utilized as an aftershave I would gather from
>>reading the label.

I think Wayside has a picture of witch hazel in its catalog. It seemed
to look somewhat like a forsythia.

Gary Hypes

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Aug 12, 1993, 12:12:43 PM8/12/93

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Which hazel would that be?

;-)

Gary Hypes

James M Hoskins

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Aug 12, 1993, 1:11:03 PM8/12/93

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In article <CBnMD...@boi.hp.com> hy...@boi.hp.com (Gary Hypes) writes:

>Which hazel would that be?
>
>;-)

That hazel which is a witch hazel.

-)

Bruce A. Moon

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Aug 12, 1993, 1:53:27 PM8/12/93

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In the Sundset Western Garden Book there are three Witchhazels listed
(Hamamelis intermedia (hybrid), H. ollis (Chinese Witch hazel), kH.
virginia. Description says fragrant yellow flowers with crupled clusters.
Deciduous trees or shrubs. H. virginiana isusually 10-15 ft., but can get
to 25 ft. -- Bruce Moon Rio Linda, CA

david.j.daulton

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Aug 12, 1993, 12:06:57 PM8/12/93

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>
>Can anyone describe the witch hazel plant?
>

I don't have my books here, but as I recall there are two you most often
see at nurseries, as follows (and hoping I don't have these backwards):

1. American witch hazel (Hammamalis virginia ?). It grows into a
shrub or small tree, to 20'. Blooms very, very late fall (you might say,
early winter).

2. Vernal witch hazel (Hammamalis vernis ?). European. Grows as a
shrub, agout 6'. Blooms very, very early in spring (you might say, late
winter).

Both have fragrant flowers, not sweet, but rather clean and medicinal, and
evokative (for me, evoking images of leaf strewn brick sidewalks in a grey
winter's twilight--I don't know why). If you buy the American witch hazel,
buy it in bloom, to insure the one you get drops its leaves before
blooming--so you can see the flowers.

Both have terrific, clear yellow fall color, and both grow well in
the shade. In shady spots their habit is more open and "woodsy".
It is one of my favorite shrubs, and in a shady yard, it is a delight to
a witch hazel glowing in the fall.

Dave Daulton, Columbus, Ohio, zone 5

Dick and Jill Miller

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Aug 13, 1993, 8:54:11 AM8/13/93

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James M Hoskins (jhos...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu) asks:

> Can anyone describe the witch hazel plant?

Witch Hazel is a large shrub/small tree which is rather open, sometimes
somewhat scraggly in habit. There are two kinds; one flowers in the late
fall and one in late winter or very early spring. The flowers are not very
showy and have four petals each, said petals being rectangular and rather
long so they look like bits of ribbon. Witch hazel tolerates fairly heavy
shade (there is a good stand in a pine forest at our local Audubon
sanctuary).

An interesting plant, but if you have a very small yard you would probably
pick something else. On the plus side, it does flower when nothing else is
in bloom, and at a time when it has no leaves so the flowers show a lot
more than they would if it flowered while it had leaves.

I have never noticed whether it smells like the extract. I'll have to
check next time I get a chance.

--Jill

arthur zachai

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Aug 19, 1993, 12:14:20 PM8/19/93

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What which hazel do you want? I have one from Wayside, "Arnold
Promise." Like one in the Arnold Arb in Boston. Shrubby treeey thing
that blooms in February. Nice if there's snow under it!
.
Arthur. aza...@world.std.com