Common Witch Hazel is a plant of exquisite timing. Native across eastern North America, it grows along stream banks and woodland margins from Nova Scotia to Georgia, and it has the unusual distinction of flowering in late autumn — sometimes into December — when its own leaves are just finishing their fall drop. The yellow, ribbon-like petals are distinctive: each one just a few millimeters wide but an inch or more long, fluttering in clusters from bare branches. The genus name, drawn from the Greek hama and melon, acknowledges another peculiarity: the plant can carry flowers and the previous year's fruits simultaneously.

It tolerates heavy clay and moderate drought once established, and its dense, multi-stemmed canopy makes a fine informal screen or hedge through spring and summer. The fall foliage turns a clean, rich yellow. Full sun encourages the best bloom, but it performs well at woodland margins in partial shade. It serves as the sole larval host for the Witch Hazel Dagger Moth, which is reason enough to include it in a native planting. Prune after flowering in winter if shaping is needed — never before — and give it room, as established specimens can reach 15 to 20 feet.