November Plant of the Month

For a long time, the pollinators of Witch Hazels were rather mysterious. Observers have documented a large diversity of insect pollinators visiting the flowers. For any species still active on the occasional warm day, American Witch Hazel is the only shop in town. However, a visit is hardly sufficient to guarantee pollination. Ecologist and author Bernd Heinrich cracked the case. He determined that the primary pollinators of Witch Hazel are species of owlet moths in the Noctuidae family. These particular moths can raise their body temperature by vibrating their wing muscles, allowing them to fly even on cold nights that would ground all other insects. The association with moths doesn’t end there: dozens of species use American Witch Hazel as a host plant.

After pollination, Witch Hazel has a rather dramatic means of distributing its seeds. The protective pod that holds the developing seeds explodes when they fully mature. This rockets them away from the parent plant, sometimes over 30 feet away! These seeds are eaten by a number of animals, including that other November stalwart, the Wild Turkey. Hamamelis virginiana is a fairly common member of upland forest plant communities, and particularly noticeable this time of year. Keep an eye out for its striking yellow blossoms among the browns and greys of the late fall woods.