Extra Fall Color: Witch Hazel in Bloom

Recent wind and rain has knocked down much of the brightest foliage around southern Maine. If you look closely while in the woods, you may still be able to find one of the last splashes of fall color. Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is common tree throughout our region's mixed deciduous forest. It is generally small and comfortable growing in the shade of the understory. Its large slightly lobed leaves turn yellow and drop early in autumn revealing stringy yellow flowers.

Tiny yellow flowers are visible on this witch hazel tree in the T.A. Forest.

This is the last tree in Maine to bloom and relies on a group of moths active in the fall and winter for pollination. Once the flowers are pollinated, they develop into a seed capsule that takes a year to mature. After ripening, the capsule bursts open shooting tiny seeds up to thirty feet from the tree. I have always wondered what it would be like to witness this subtle event happening in the forest. Talk about right place, right time!

A closer look reveals a beautiful autumn flower.