Today I would like to introduce you to …
Witch Hazel
Ah the ancient, British Witch Hazel.
What a wonderfully misleading name it has! I always assumed it to be a straightforward kind of a name… but it is not in any way accurate.
Ancient it is, but British it is not. The first saplings arrived here in the mid 1700 from as far as North East America, Japan and China and it hid in the back of a collectors nursery for many years.
Its association with witches is wispy at best. Her name probably comes from the word ‘Wych’, an old English word for ‘bendy’ because the sticks from the little tree are super supple and were usedl for dowsing.
And lastly Hazel… which is not. The leaves certainly resemble the original native Hazelnut tree but the two trees are not related at all. But that hasn’t stopped us from calling this plant ‘hazel’ for nearly two hundred years. This does explain the lack of catkins!
So what is true about the Witch Hazel?
It is brilliantly medicinal. You’ve probably heard of the plant in first-aid products and skin care. Its health benefits have been appreciated far and wide!
Its petals are incredibly sensitive to temperature and, although I haven’t witnessed this, it curls them up to protect themselves on the coldest winter days.
Its scent is delicate and you often have to get up close and personal to fully enjoy it. I would recommend cupping your hands gently round the flower and huff on it to warm it up. This will release the best fragrance for you.
The question I’m sure is on the tip of your tongue is this: is it worth a space in the garden? The honest answer would be, it depends. It needs some space and it can be a bit picky but if you do have a sheltered square, then there is nothing like the thrill of seeing a little bit of colour in the deep of winter. The flowers are weird and wonderful too - I would describe them as little kisses with crazy hair!
If you want to know more, a good place to start is the RHS website
Love and heaps of blessings,
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