Witch hazel uses3/30/2023 ![]() If the branch suddenly jerked downward or rotated, that supposedly meant water, minerals or objects lay beneath the ground. Taking a forked branch, the diviners - also called dousers or water witches - would hold the two ends about 45 degrees skyward, then walk across land. ![]() As for the "hazel" part, its leaves do resemble those of the hazelnut plant, though the two aren't related.įor centuries, people used witch hazel branches as divining rods to detect underground water, minerals and even lost objects. Since the shrub sports twisted, gnarled limbs and stringy, drooping petals, its appearance may have been the reason for the name. No one knows exactly how this shrub received its unusual name, but some experts say the word "witch" could be derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "wych," which is related to "wicker," a word that means bending. These bright-yellow blooms, while a fetching color, feature odd, stringy petals and crimson centers. North America's three native species sport green leaves in the spring and summer, then burst into bloom in late fall, when other trees have gone dormant. Witch hazel is a tall, roundish shrub with gnarled limbs that can stretch up to 20 feet (6.1 meters) tall and up to 20 feet wide. Pretty much everything about witch hazel is unusual, from its name to its blooming season to its varied uses. The witch hazel plant has bright yellow flowers and can grow as tall as 20 feet.
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