American witch hazel, also known as tobacco wood and winterbloom, is an understory species of small tree native to the woodlands of eastern North America. The plant is also grown as a garden plant for its interesting flowers, which come into bloom in late fall just as most plants start dying back to the ground.
Another advantage to having witch hazel around in that in the event you should need to find a new source of well water, its wood is the preferred material to use as divining rods.
The bark and leaf of witch hazel have a long history of use topical use that continues today. While the bark is valued for its astringent qualities, witch hazel leaf contains several antioxidant compounds such as quercetin.
