Everyone knows that funny smell of witch hazel tonic. How would I describe it—herbal and sour maybe? Do you know however that it derives from the witch hazel plant, Hamamelis Virginiana?
I have used both the commercial and my own preparations for years as an astringent and external skin tonic. One really cool thing if you live in the northeast:it is the first plant to bloom.
Here are some pics of my witch hazel's in bloom. It bloomed this week. Last Thursday we had 13 inches of snow and yesterday it was 60°F. It's so good, even after a mild winter, to experience any signs of spring! Idid see a crocus peeping out of the ground in a warm commercial planting before the storm but this is the real thing!
Of course, there are other cultivars with showier or more plentiful blooms, but I am really happy to have mine!
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Hamamelis Deutsch: Zaubernuß English: Witch-hazel in the Fürth Stadtpark (Germany)Image via Wikipedia |
