Witch Hazel

Botanical Name: Hamamelis virginiana

Family: Hamameliadaceae

Other Notes: Spotted hazel, winterbloom

Habitat: Moist woods

Description: Perennial deciduous shrub up to 5m/15ft Leaves: yellow in autumn oval, up to 15cm, 7cm wide, dentate or crenate margin, acute apex Flowers yellow threadlike clustered, scented flowers appear after the leaves have fallen autumn-spring.

Native to: North America, Canada

Parts Used: Barks, leaves, twigs

Cultivation: Light shade, moist well-drained soil, and acid soil. Slow growing so do not need much pruning.

Harvesting: Bark: spring Leaves: throughout the year

Actions: Astringent, cardiac, carminative, diuretic, haemostatic, stomachic, tonic

Constituents: Leaves: Tannins (8-10%), gallotannins, catechins, proanthocyanins

Flavonoids: quercetin, kaempferol, astragalin, myricitrin

Volatile oil: hexenol, n-hexen-2-al, alpha ionones, beta ionones

Bark: Tannins (1-7%) alpha, beta and gamma hamamelitatannins, condensed tannins: d-gallocatechins, l-epigallocatechin, l-epicatechin

Saponins, resins

Skin: Boils, bruises, burns, cuts, insect bites

Energetics: Smell: slightly minty, water’s edge, damp woods

Tongue, throat, digestive tract

Spicy, passionate

Charka: Third eye