American witch hazel is a small deciduous shrub that is native to the woodlands of eastern North America. Forced to compete for light from the canopy above, the plant will remain relatively small. Given room to spread, however, witch hazel becomes a handsome specimen capable of reaching 20 feet in height. For this reason, and also because of the herb’s whimsical, pale yellow flowers, witch hazel is often cultivated as a garden ornamental.
The late season blooms aren’t the only surprise this plant offers. If you were to cut some flowering branches that also contained seed pods pollinated the year before, and brought them inside as an indoor floral arrangement, the warmth of your home would soon trigger the explosive eviction of two black seeds, sending them up to 30 feet away.
