Witch Hazel Harbinger of Spring

[Ysarex]

Witch Hazel is among the very first to bloom here in early Spring. It's common to find witch hazel in bloom when there's still snow on the ground, not that we get any of that here anymore.

Joe

 

[smoke665]

Nice Joe. Interesting bloom

 

[Gary A.]

Like smoke665, an interesting flower. I am not familiar with Witch Hazel ... is it a bush or tree?

 

[Ysarex]

Nice Joe. Interesting bloom

Like smoke665, an interesting flower. I am not familiar with Witch Hazel ... is it a bush or tree?

I'm going with shrub but dwarf tree might be appropriate. Not a common domestic but they are native. It's real easy to miss them flower; more than once I've realized Spring was upon us and said to myself, "I'll bet the witch hazel is blooming" and I was too late.

Joe

 

[smoke665]

I'm going with shrub but dwarf tree might be appropriate.

If it's the same thing they get the astringent anti-inflammatory compound from then it's a shrub. Apparently I'm not very observant, because I spend a lot of time in the woods, and I've yet to see one blooming.

 

[Ysarex]

I'm going with shrub but dwarf tree might be appropriate.

If it's the same thing they get the astringent anti-inflammatory compound from then it's a shrub. Apparently I'm not very observant, because I spend a lot of time in the woods, and I've yet to see one blooming.

Yep, same plant the astringent comes from. Native Americans knew to extract it from the bark. I knew a guy who swore by it as a mouth wash.

Joe

 

[smoke665]

. I knew a guy who swore by it as a mouth wash.

Don't think I'd try that, but I've used it over the years for sunburns and insect bites.

 

[jcdeboever]

Preparation H wipes = poor man's bidet