General Description/History

Witch hazel is a small tree and cut branches are sold as either a foliage, or when in flower. Leaves are green, large (to 15 cm long), rounded with a pointed tip, hairy, slightly serrated at the edges and deeply veined. Flowers are yellow to orange in colour, and have 8 short (to 2 cm), thin, strap-like petals poking out of a cap, much like a Eucalyptus flower, but with fewer, thicker filaments. As the petals dangle and are curled, another analogy is the flowers look like a straggly spider. Flowers are borne in clusters, are fragrant and develop in autumn, before the leaves begin to drop and persist through winter, so that in winter branches can be found with flowers and no leaves. In the US, flowers open on warm days and close when it is cold, but in the more temperate environment of Australia flowers remain open most days.

Available: Foliage: Spring to early autumn; Flowering branches: autumn to winter.

What to look for

• Branches with green leaves or open flowers;
• Avoid branches with yellow leaves as these will fall off.

Flower Care

1. Break bunches apart.
2. Strip leaves from the bottom half of each stem.
3. Recut at least 2 cm off each stem and place in cold water.
4. Do not smash or split stem ends.
5. Use a preservative as this will keep leaves and flowers looking fresh.
6. Replace vase water with fresh preservative every day.
7. Misting is recommended.

Interesting Facts about this Flower
‘
A medicinal extract (also called Witch Hazel) is made from the bark and leaves and is used in aftershave lotions and lotions for treating bruises.

Botanical Name: Hamamelis sp.

Common Names: Witch Hazel

Stem Length: 30 – 80 cm

Country of Origin: North America, Japan, China

Available Colours: Green, Orange, Yellow

Season: Summer,Autumn,Winter,Spring

Availability: January,February,March,April,May,June,July,August,September,October,November,Decemeber