The Plant Botanists deem the common witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana . The fruits are worth a mention. Witch hazel produces a capsule-like fruit enshrining two shiny hard black seeds with white, oily, edible interiors. These nutty seeds were savored by Indians of the south. The flavor is like that of pistachio nuts.
Witch hazel has a mechanical seed dispersal action.
When mature, the seed capsules explode apart with a cracking pop, catapulting the seeds up to ten yards from the shrub. Remember this if you bring a bouquet of witch hazel twigs indoors when flowering in autumn. The seed capsules of the previous year are there at the same time. In a range extending from Nova Scotia, west to Ontario, and south to Texas, and Florida, common witch hazel flourishes on shaded north-facing slopes, along fence rows, country roads, and the stony banks of brooks. On winter hikes in the Ozarks, I delight to the treat of a lovely floral fragrance in the dead of winter.