Witch Hazel

I love PEI’s fall colours. Not only the changing leaves and vibrant fungi, but also late-season flowering plants like Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana).

When people ask me about planting native species for pollinators, my thoughts always go immediately to very early and very late flowering plants. Any pollinator worth its salt can making a living from the Island’s landscape in peak summer, but resources are much scarcer in early spring and now, as our native bees, butterflies, moths, flies, and wasps prepare for winter.

Flowering in fall is a handy adaptation that benefits not only pollinators, but also Witch Hazel. In summer, flowers are a dime a dozen and pollinating insects have lots of options. In October, Witch Hazel has little competition, and the changed pollinator-to-flower ratio increases its chances of success.

But there’s no free lunch in nature, and virtually every benefit comes with at least one challenge. In Witch Hazel’s case, the challenge is reproduction so late in the year, just as everything is beginning to freeze up. To get around this, Witch Hazel delays fertilization: pollen delivered to the flower now is held until next spring.

As temperatures warm, pollen meets ovary, and the flower is fertilized; seeds develop over the summer, ripening in fall. And this plant has one further adaptation: as seed pods mature, pressure builds up inside and eventually explodes, shooting the seeds far from the parent plant. This phenomenon is called ballistic seed dispersal, and it’s shared by other species, including Spotted Touch-me-not.

In addition to being beautiful, native, and helpful to pollinators, Witch Hazel also has a long history of being used externally to reduce inflammation, heal minor wounds, and sooth irritation. These benefits are supported by modern research, and extracts of Witch Hazel bark are commercially available in a range of both cosmetic and medicinal products.

As a final note, ‘witch’ in plant names doesn’t have the same meaning it does today; instead, it refers to the flexibility of the branches. Witch Hazel’s bendy branches are a traditional choice for making divining rods said to be able to locate underground water – a practice called dowsing – adding to this plant’s witchy reputation.

Because Witch Hazel is very rare on the Island, I don’t recommend foraging it. Instead, buy plants from the Macphail Woods Nursery to add to your own property and enjoy this part of PEI Untamed!