Witch hazel originates from North America, more precisely from Canada and the eastern USA. The plant is planted in gardens and parks in Europe. The material used medicinally comes mainly from North America.
Witch hazel in medicine
In herbal medicine, the bark (Hamamelidis cortex) and leaves (Hamamelidis folium) of Hamamelis are used. Hamamelis water (Hamamelidis aqua) is also extracted from the branches.
Hamamelis: special characteristics
Hamamelis is a 3-7 rarely 10 m tall shrub or small tree with characteristic broad oval leaves that look very similar to the European hazelnut. In autumn, small yellow flowers with long narrow petals appear. Furthermore, the shrub bears woody fruit capsules.
The bark material of the plant consists of bent pieces of various lengths of dried bark obtained from the trunk or branches. The (reddish)brown outside of the bark pieces is covered with cork, and lighter bark appears underneath.
Properties of the leaf drug
Leaf drug consists of thin, flexible leaves and leaf fragments that are dark green on top and light green to -brown and shiny on the underside. The leaf veins are prominent, especially on the underside, and the vein angles are hairy.
Odor and taste of witch hazel
Neither witch hazel bark nor leaves emit a characteristic odor. The taste of bark and leaves is moderately to strongly astringent, and the bark also tastes bitter.
