Audubon® Native Vernal Witchhazel

Sprinter! That rousing, exhilarating season between winter and spring, when the ground begins to thaw and we dream of warmer days just around the corner. Vernal Witch Hazel kicks things off with its funny little yellow, peach, or brick-red flowers—the first blooms of the year on any native plant in most of the eastern U.S. On mild days the flowers give off a gentle, spicy-sweet scent. Vernal Witch Hazel is a must-have for the pollinator garden, as it will offer something to the earliest-emerging insects looking for fuel. Its foliage also feeds many species of caterpillars, so it’s great for insectivorous songbirds, too.

Vernal Witch Hazel is not a true Hazel, although the leaves and stems are similar to that plant. It has nothing to do with witchcraft, either, though that point may be debatable! The branches are used by those who practice “water witching,” whereby a forked branch held in the hands supposedly moves of its own accord to indicate the presence of an underground water source. There are several species of Witch Hazels native to various points around the globe, but Vernal Witch Hazel has a quite limited range. In the wild, it is primarily found on the Ozark Plateau of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

In rural areas, ruffed grouse and turkeys may feed on the seeds of Vernal Witch Hazel, but they may have to do some searching for them. Once the seeds are ripe (which takes a whole year), they’re fired like a bullet from their pods! They may land 10, 20, or even 30 feet from the parent plant.