Stats

Lifespan: Up to 40 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate deciduous forest
Range: Eastern North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

A shrubby understory tree native to eastern North America that flowers in late fall and winter, unfurling thin ribbon-like yellow petals after its leaves have dropped. Its bark and leaves are the source of the astringent witch hazel extract used in skincare.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Genus: Hamamelis
Species: Hamamelis virginiana