Hamamelis virginiana
Witch-hazel
Hamamelis virginiana, commonly known as witch hazel, is a versatile North American shrub prized for its therapeutic properties. Renowned for its astringent qualities, its bark and distilled hydrosols are widely used to soothe skin irritations, reduce inflammation, and treat minor wounds, making it a staple in natural skincare.
- Scientific name: Hamamelis virginiana
- Family: Hamamelidaceae
- Native range: Northern America
Taxonomical Classification
This plant, Hamamelis virginiana, belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae in the order Saxifragales. Ultimately, it is a member of the Hamamelidaceae family within the genus Hamamelis.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Saxifragales | WCVP |
| Family | Hamamelidaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Hamamelis | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, scientifically known as Hamamelis virginiana, is recognized by various names across different languages and regions. In Chinese, it is referred to as 北美金缕梅 (zh-hans), 北美金縷梅 (zh-hant), and 北美金縷梅 (zh-hk). In Poland, it is commonly called Oczar wirginijski (pl), while in Russia, it is known as Гамамелис вирджинский (ru).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 北美金缕梅 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 北美金縷梅 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 北美金縷梅 | Wikidata |
| pl | Oczar wirginijski | Wikidata |
| ru | Гамамелис вирджинский | Wikidata |
| fi | amerikantaikapähkinä | Wikidata |
| hu | nagylevelű csodamogyoró | Wikidata |
| de | Virginische Zaubernuss | Wikidata |
| az | Virciniya hamamelisi | Wikidata |
| lt | Sodinis hamamelis | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is native to specific regions across North America. In Eastern Canada, its range extends through the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It is also widely distributed across the territories of Ontario and Québec. Moving south into the North-Central U.S.A., the species can be found in Illinois. These locations define the primary geographical footprint of Hamamelis virginiana.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Canada | New Brunswick | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Nova Scotia | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Ontario | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Québec | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Illinois | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Iowa | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Minnesota | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Missouri | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Oklahoma | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Wisconsin | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as witch hazel, utilizes various components for its medicinal properties, most notably the leaf and the Hamamelis virginia na bark. While the leaves are often studied for their astringent qualities, the bark is frequently harvested to extract tannins and other bioactive compounds used in topical treatments. Together, these plant parts contribute to the species' traditional reputation for soothing skin irritations and reducing inflammation.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 3
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hamamelis virginiana bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Hamamelis virginiana has 16 reported phytochemicals identified across 23 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include tannins, gallic acid, hamamelitannin, proanthocyanidins, 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanol.
- Total chemicals
- 16
- Scientific sources
- 23
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| tannins | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| gallic acid | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| hamamelitannin | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| proanthocyanidins | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 3-hydroxybenzoic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| catechin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| catechins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ethyl gallate | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Hamamelis virginiana has 7 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Analgesic, Antimicrobial, Antiphlogistic, Antiviral.
- Total activities
- 7
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiphlogistic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Astringent | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Venotonic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Hamamelis virginiana has 10 reported medicinal uses identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Erythema, Inflammation, adjuvant arthritis, analgesic, bacteria.
- Total uses
- 10
- Scientific sources
- 10
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Erythema | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Inflammation | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| adjuvant arthritis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| analgesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bacteria | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bleeding | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fungi | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| pain | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| viruses | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |