Quercus

American Witch-hazel

Hamamelis virginiana

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Care

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

Who uses this plant?

69CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Hamamelis

  • Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
  • Acrobasis indigenellaLeaf Crumpler
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
  • Acronicta hamamelisWitch Hazel Dagger
  • Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
  • Acronicta impressaImpressive Dagger, Printed Dagger
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
Show all 69
  • Archips semiferanusOak Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia quercifolianaYellow-Winged Oak Leafroller Moth, Lined Oak Leafroller
  • Caloptilia superbifrontellaWitch-Hazel Caloptilia
  • Cameraria aceriellaMaple Leafblotch Miner
  • Cameraria hamameliellaWitchhazel Leafminer
  • Campaea perlataPale Beauty, Fringed Looper
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Clepsis melaleucanusBlack-Patched Clepsis, Trillium Tortrix
  • 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
  • Lithophane heminaHemina Pinion
  • Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Morrisonia latexFluid Arches, Fluid Mamestra
  • Nola triquetranaThree-Spot Nola
  • Olethreutes appendiceumServiceberry Leafroller
  • Operophtera bruceataBruce Spanworm
  • 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
  • Pseudexentera costomaculanaWitch-Hazel Leafroller
  • Pyreferra ceromaticaAnointed Sallow
  • Pyreferra citrombraEyed Mustard Sallow, Citrine 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 footiana
  • Olethreutes hamameliana
  • Olethreutes merrickana
  • Stigmella corylifoliella
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)

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
Spring
Fruit ends
Summer

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

American Witch Hazel; American Witch hazel; Northern Witch Hazel

Conservation status

Kentucky rankNot available
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources