Plant of the Week: Witch Hazel - Genus Hamamelis
Kai Goldstein | March 4, 2025
Witch Hazel || Genus Hamamelis
A stark contrast to the world around them, witch hazels prefer to bloom when nothing else is in the mood for it.
You may have seen their neon-yellow or saffron-red flowers on campus blooming during the bitterest time of winter and wondered, “what in the world is pollinating them?” It seems their strategy is being the only source of nectar and pollen during a time when no other plant has the heart to share. They can be a beacon of aid to insects who desperately need it, and host dozens of different moths and butterflies. Historically they were used to fashion dowsing rods, and some Indigenous American cultures utilized the plant’s natural healing properties. They’re still in bloom around campus and it’s not too hard to find them shining in the sun.
