November 15, 2005
Let's Hear it for Natives!
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Just when the cold gray of November threatens to overwhelm even the most optimistic nature lover, the spirit is lifted by the delicate yellow haze of the native witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) blooming throughout Central Park. The elusive and sweetly astringent scent of the witch hazel is a pleasant counterpoint to the dusty smell of decaying leaves. You have to hand it to nature; this is the perfect time for these discrete charmers to bloom. Their virtues would be entirely overlooked in the spring or summer, or even in the blazing autumn. Could there really be intelligent design? (Just joking).
A small multistem tree (to about 20 feet) or large shrub, the witch hazel has wide, toothed, ovate leaves and smooth gray bark. The nut-like fruits are frequently found with the flower. They are particularly plentiful in the woods outside the city as they can live under a forest canopy but seem to be unattractive to deer. The name witch hazel conjures up images of Victorian liniments and home remedies for good reason. It was used by Native Americans to treat inflammation and soreness and continues to be extensively used in herbal remedies, as well as mainstream products.
Chinese witch hazel, (Hamamelis mollis) and its various cultivars and crosses (Arnold's Promise, Diane, Jezebel etc.) bloom in February and early March. Their flowers, while not huge, are more prominent and they come in a range of colors, from burnt orange to sulphur yellow, which explains why they are more widely grown than the native. But to walk though the woods and come upon a grove of native witch hazel with the sunlight filtering through bare branches onto the threadlike petals, is to experience the best November has to offer-it would be churlish to ask for more.
Posted by gardenguidenyc at 02:21 PM | Comments (0)