Witch Hazel in Bloom

American Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) has been in bloom for the past week around Sanctuary Lookouts and trails. A large shrub with a multi-stemmed trunk, they have almost the complete opposite bloom timing of most other flowering trees and bushes of the northeast. Fringed yellow flowers appear in early October and persist sometimes well into December, a unique sight in a forest dominated by cold-weather dormancy. They are mainly pollinated by moths and other insects who don’t mind the chill.

Photo by Laura Berry.