Flower of the Week: Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel

Hamamelis virginiana

image via Flickr

Even though it feels a lot like spring in Austin, we suppose much of the world isn't so lucky. With that noted, our flower of the week is winter-blooming Witch Hazel. This spindly flower gets its name from the English plant Wych Elm, which colonists coming to America promptly co-opted and attached to the entirely unrelated shrub we now know as witch hazel. 

This plant is popular in gardens due to the color of its blooms, and has edible seeds as well as multiple medicinal uses.