Plant Family: Hamamelidaceae
Growth Form: Small understory tree, typically with two to several trunks arising from the same rootstock.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, obovate to nearly round, with prominent veins, wavy margins, and asymmetric bases, from 5 – 15 cm long.
Bark: Brown, smooth to somewhat patchy, with horizontal marks.
Flowers: Bright yellow with narrow twisted petals; appearing in the leaf axils in late fall to early winter; one of our only autumn flowering trees.
Fruits: Four-part capsules; in autumn they split open and forcefully eject the shiny dark seeds some distance from the parent tree.
Habitat: Understory of deciduous woods.
Range: Common throughout New England and all of the eastern United States and Canada.
Key Features: Leaves with wavy margins and uneven bases, autumn flowers, and seed capsules that are often present year-round will identify this attractive understory tree.
Comments: An extract from the bark and twigs is commonly used as an astringent to treat various skin maladies. The twigs are browsed by deer and the seeds are eaten by small birds and mammals.
