The flowers have four long strap-like petals, each an inch to an inch and a half long. These petals have the unique ability to curl up in a bud when the temperatures drop and unfurl in the warming sun. This adaptation protects the nectar and pollen for warmer days when insects will venture out again. Witch hazel flowers are followed by a hard, two-chambered seed capsule that ripens a year later. Witch Hazel Blossom.
Witch hazel is a plant with many common names, each related to a unique aspect of the plant.
As they dry and shrink, they will explode with an audible pop to scatter the seeds up to 30 feet from the parent. This mechanism for seed dispersal helps to eliminate overcrowding and increases the likelihood that this year's crop will have room to grow. The tree has also been called water-witch. The forked springy branches of witch hazel were used by early settlers, and later dowsers, as divining rods to search and detect underground water and minerals. Native Americans showed pioneers how to make extracts for use as eye washes, liniment, and to stop bleeding.