Witch-hazel

The witch-hazels are deciduous shrubs or (rarely) small trees growing to 10–25 feet (3.0–7.6 m) tall, rarely to 40 feet (12 m) tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, oval, 2–6 inches (5.1–15.2 cm) long and 1–4 inches (2.5–10.2 cm) broad, with a smooth or wavy margin. The genus name, Hamamelis, means "together with fruit", referring to the simultaneous occurrence of flowers with the maturing fruit from the previous year.[6] H. virginiana blooms in September–November while the other species bloom from January–March. Each flower has four slender strap-shaped petals ³⁄₈–³⁄₄ inch (0.95–1.91 cm) long, pale to dark yellow, orange, or red. The fruit is a two-part capsule ³⁄₈ inch (0.95 cm) long, containing a single ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) glossy black seed in each of the two parts; the capsule splits explosively at maturity in the autumn about 8 months after flowering, ejecting the seeds with sufficient force to fly for distances of up to 30 feet (9.1 m), thus another alternative name "Snapping Hazel".

The name witch in witch-hazel has its origins in Middle English wiche, from the Old English wice, meaning "pliant" or "bendable", and is not related to the word witch meaning a practitioner of magic.[7] Jacob George Strutt's 1822 book, Sylva Britannica attests that "Wych Hazel" was used in England as a synonym for wych elm, Ulmus glabra;[8] The use of the twigs as divining rods, just as hazel twigs were used in England, may also have, by folk etymology, influenced the "witch" part of the name.[5]

The Persian ironwood, a closely related tree formerly treated as Hamamelis persica, is now given a genus of its own, as Parrotia persica, as it differs in the flowers not having petals. Other closely allied genera are Parrotiopsis, Fothergilla, and Sycopsis (see under Hamamelidaceae). Witch-hazels are not closely related to the true Corylus hazels, though they have a few superficially similar characteristics which may cause one to believe that they are.

They are popular ornamental plants, grown for their clusters of rich yellow to orange-red flowers which begin to expand in the autumn as or slightly before the leaves fall, and continue throughout the winter.

The leaves and bark of the North American witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, may be used to produce an astringent decoction as a cooling agent for various uses in folk medicine, herbalism, and skincare products.[10] This decoction was widely believed to have medicinal uses by Native Americans.[5] The main constituents of witch-hazel extract include calcium oxalate, gallotannins, safrole, and chemicals found in the essential oil (carvacrol, eugenol).[11] Witch-hazel is mainly used externally on hemorrhoids, minor bleeding, and skin irritation.[10]

Witch-hazel is typically sold in pharmacies as witch-hazel water[5][10] and as semisolid ointments, creams, gels, and salves.[12] There is high-quality clinical evidence[13], as well as use in folk medicine, suggesting witch-hazel can ease discomfort involving vaginal soreness and hemorrhoids while they heal after childbirth.[14] It is commonly used to treat diaper rash in infants.[10] As an ingredient and as topical agent, witch-hazel water is regulated in the United States as an over-the-counter drug for external use only to soothe minor skin irritations.[15]

Extracts of witch-hazel may be used as a supposed remedy for psoriasis and eczema, in aftershave and ingrown nail applications, to prevent dehydration of skin, and for insect bites and poison ivy.[16] Clinical studies supporting its effectiveness for these skin conditions are absent.[10] There is no good clinical evidence for its other purported traditional uses, including gastrointestinal illnesses (diarrhea), common colds, tuberculosis, and inflammation.[10]

Native Americans used extract of witch-hazel extensively for medicinal purposes. Many people produced witch hazel extract by boiling the stems of the shrub and producing a decoction, which was used to treat swellings, inflammations, and tumors.[17] Early Puritan settlers in New England adopted this remedy from the natives, and its use became widely established in the United States.[16]

A missionary, Dr. Charles Hawes, learned of the preparation's therapeutic properties, and then determined through extensive study that the product of distillation (likely steam distillation) of the plant's twigs was even more efficacious.[17] "Hawes Extract" was first produced and sold in Essex, Connecticut, in 1846, by druggist and chemist Alvan Whittemore.[18]

Hawes' process was further refined by Thomas Newton Dickinson, Sr., who is credited with starting the commercial production of witch hazel extract, also in Essex, Connecticut, in 1866, and eventually establishing nine production sites in eastern Connecticut.[19] Following his death, his two sons, Thomas N. Dickinson, Jr., of Mystic, Connecticut, and Everett E. Dickinson of Essex, each inherited parts of the family business and continued the manufacture of witch hazel extract, operating competing "Dickinson's" businesses that were continued by their descendants.[16][20]

Although not fatal, oral consumption of witch hazel water is potentially toxic resulting from the high content of tannins remaining in commercial products.[10] As a result, the ingestion of witch hazel water is inadvisable during pregnancy and lactation.[21]

In the United States, witch hazel water can be used as an ingredient for topical applications,[15] but individual products are not approved as drugs. In 2017, one manufacturer of skincare products containing witch hazel was warned by the Food and Drug Administration for making unsubstantiated health claims and for not providing evidence the products are safe.[22]

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  Hamamelis sp. flowers, Menai Bridge, Wales
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  Hamamelis in Fürth City Park (Germany), 2004-02-08
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  Hamamelis in the Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens
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  Hamamelis ×intermedia (H. japonica × H. mollis)
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  Hamamelis japonica
  close-up flowers
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  Hamamelis ×intermedia 'Jelena'
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  Hamamelis ×intermedia 'Diane'
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  Hamamelis mollis tree in autumn
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  Hamamelis mollis in autumn
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  Hamamelis mollis leaves in autumn
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  Winter-flowering in the Vogelsberg Mountains
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  Flourishing Witch-hazel shrub in winter

• Erdelmeier, C. A. J. et al. Antiviral and Antiphlogistic Activities of Hamamelis virginiana Bark. Planta Medica, 62(1996) (3):241–245
• Foster, S. The Wiley Witch Hazel. The Herb Companion.(January 1989).
• Fergus, Charles (2002). Trees of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Stackpole Books. pp. 156–9. ISBN 978-0-8117-2092-2.
• Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
• Korting, H. C., et al. "Comparative Efficacy of Hamamelis Distillate and Hydrocortisone. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 48(1995)(6):461–465.
• Lloyd, J. U. and J. T. Lloyd. History of Hamamelis (Witch Hazel), Extract and Distillate. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. 24(1935) (3):220–24.
• Tyler, V. E. Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals, Binghamton, New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hamamelis.

• Flora of China: Hamamelis
• Flora of North America: Hamamelis