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American Witch-hazel

Hamamelis virginiana

70
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
15–30 feet
Spread
15–20 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 17.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Fall
Fruiting season
Fall

Recorded in 59 Alabama counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 136 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Care

  • Water through dry spells; this plant is drought intolerant.
Care sources
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

56CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Hamamelis

  • Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
  • Acrobasis indigenellaLeaf Crumpler
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
  • Acronicta hamamelisWitch Hazel Dagger
  • Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
  • Archips semiferanusOak Leafroller Moth
Show all 56
  • Argyrotaenia quercifolianaYellow-Winged Oak Leafroller Moth, Lined Oak Leafroller
  • Caloptilia superbifrontellaWitch-Hazel Caloptilia
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Datana drexeliiDrexel's Datana
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Drasteria grandirenaFigure-Seven Moth
  • Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
  • Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
  • Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
  • Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
  • Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
  • Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
  • Morrisonia latexFluid Arches, Fluid Mamestra
  • Nola triquetranaThree-Spot Nola
  • Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
  • Phaecasiophora niveiguttanaLabyrinth Moth
  • Phaeoura quernariaOak Beauty Moth
  • Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
  • Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Pyreferra ceromaticaAnointed Sallow
  • Pyreferra hesperidagoMustard Sallow
  • Rifargia subrotataSmall Heterocampa
  • Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Tortricidia testaceaEarly Button Slug
  • Xystopeplus rufagoRed-Winged Sallow
  • Zale phaeocapnaHazel Zale
  • Olethreutes hamameliana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
2BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Hamamelis

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Hamamelis

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Hamamelidaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Cream, yellow, red or white
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Fall
Fruit ends
Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Cream, yellow, red or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
  • Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “15–30 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “15–20 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as

American Witch Hazel; Northern Witch Hazel

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources