The wonderful world of witch-hazel in winter!

Looking forward to seeing flowers outside? You may be in luck! The native witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is one of the few woody plants that actually has flowers on its branches through winter. The distinctive yellow, spindly flowers can’t be missed on your next winter hike through the woods.

The witch-hazel shrub has a very unique phenology compared to other native shrubs and trees in our area. Phenology refers to the timing of a plant’s biological cycles (such as leaf out, flowering and leaf drop) to seasonal cues and climate variation. Most trees and shrubs begin flowering in the spring through early summer. Those beautiful pink flowers of Eastern redbud and white flowers on dogwoods tell us that spring in on the way, and Pennsylvania’s state flower from the mountain laurel shrub is a beautiful sight to see on an early summer’s day.

But witch-hazel does not begin to flower until mid- to late-fall, with flowers persisting on the branch through early to mid-winter. It is certainly is a welcome “pop” of color on a cold winter’s day. The late timing of flowering may be an evolutionary adaptation to attract bees and insects to pollinate the flowers as they scavenge for any remaining nectar in the woods.

While you’re checking out the flowers on witch-hazel shrubs. you may also see some birds’ nests too. This shrub is a favorite of many low-nesting birds including wood thrushes, flycatchers, and several other small woodland birds. The horizontal and v-shaped architecture of its branches make it an ideal shrub to tuck a nest into, providing stability and protection from predators when the shrub is fully leafed out.

To learn more about the ecology and phenology of witch-hazel, check out this other article written by the Alliance’s Jenny McGarvey: The Bewitching Witch Hazel or listen to this Tree Talk by Ryan Davis: Tree Talk: Witch-Hazel.

If you see something blooming, leafing out, ripening, or otherwise changing in your woods, send us photos forestsforthebay@gmail.com to include in next month’s Forests for the Bay newsletter for more phenological fun!