Witch Hazel
WITCH HAZEL
Hamamelis virginiana
Common Name
Family
Actions
Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, hemostatic, tonic
Energetics
Cooling, neutral
Edible Uses
The seed is edible and tastes nut-like. It is small however and is hidden in the capsule-like fruit of the tree.
Native To
Eastern North America
Geographic Distribution
In the United States it grows from Minnesota, northern Michigan, and southern Ontario south to Texas and central Florida; it is also cultivated throughout Europe.
Botanical Description & Identification
Witch hazel is a unique canopy-like shaped tree. The leaves of the tree are dark green on top and pale green on the bottom with coarsely toothed margins. In the dead of winter it is especially easy to spot as it is the only blooming tree (October-December). Its flowers are bright yellow which slightly sag and look like little legs when it doesn't get enough sun. There are multiple trunks to one single plant of Witch Hazel. As the tree ages the bark develops rough patches and a bit scaly.
Key Constituents
Tannins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, catechins, volatile oils, saponins, resin
Sustainability Issues
None known.
Harvesting Guidelines
Never remove the bark from the plant as that will kill the tree. In order to keep the tree intact and healthy it is best to use fallen branches or smaller branches, carefully breaking only a bit off for each harvest trip.
Uses
**BENEFITS OF WITCH HAZEL:
Witch Hazel is known to:
*Promote skin health and clear blemish, spots, and overall redness
*Promote rebalancing of bacteria and dispel unwanted bacteria
*Promote rebalancing of skin tone
*Act as an astringent
*Alleviate symptoms of acne
*Reduce cellular damage of the skin
*Prevent and reduce signs of aging
Witch Hazel is useful in the following more common disorders and diseases:
Dry and damaged skin, sore muscles, symptoms of cold and flu, swelling, asthma, hemorrhoids,
Most common uses:
Witch hazel is best known for its astringent properties for the skin, wounds, and external irritations. It is also commonly used as an antiseptic.
Fun Facts:
Witch Hazel is:
* A plant with seeds in the family of hazelnuts and filberts.
* Otherwise known as the 'snapping hazelnut' tree. Well aware of the noise an
emergent seed would make, colonial children would bring witch hazel branches
into the house and gleefully wait for them to explode (Schar, 1995).
* A plant that the Native Americans used for its branches for basket weaving and
bows.
* A plant which gets its name from the old English term 'witch', meaning 'to bend'
or 'pliable', and actually has nothing to do with witches. The name was changed
to the writing of 'witch' hazel only because they looked similar to 'hazel' trees
which were known to be used by witches for casting spells. The similarities
between the two plants got the name to stick.
* Sold in stores worldwide although the preparation isn't necessarily traditional or as
potent as the true herbal preparation. As usual, money speaks, and much of what
s sold in stores is actually more alcohol than herbal based.
References
Apelian, N., & Davis, C. (2019). The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies: The Healing Power of Plant Medicine.
Hoffman, D. (1987). The Herbal Handbook: A User's Guide to Medical Herbalism.
Lahhari, A. (2021). Native American Herbalist's Bible.
Recipes and Monographs Compiled From The Intermediate Herbal Course. Copyright: The Herbal Academy.
The Herbal Academy Herbarium and Materia Medica. Copyright: The Herbal Academy.
McIntyre, A. (2019). The Complete Herbal Tutor: The Definitive Guide to the Principles and Practices of Herbal Medicine.
Schar, D. (1995). The backyard medicine chest: An herbal primer. Washington, DC: Elliot and Clark Publishing.
United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). The PLANTS Database: Threatened and endangered. Retrieved from https://plants.usda.gov/java/threat
Wood, M. (2008). The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants
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