Up Next: Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)

Common winterberry (Ilex verticillata)

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

For centuries, witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) has been valued for its medicinal properties, but this quirky plant is also well-known for some of its unusual traits.

Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Witch hazel occurs throughout the northeastern United States and ranges west to Minnesota and south to Texas and Florida. It is shade tolerant and it is encountered most frequently in moist, rich woods or along stream banks- though it can be found growing on drier sites.

Witch hazel can grow to be a large shrub or smallish tree reaching 16 feet (5 meters). A single individual generally consists of multiple contorted stems ascending from a shared root system.

The leaves, which measure from 2 to 6 inches (5-15 cm), are alternately arranged on the stems and are roughly oval-shaped. The leaves have pointed tips and rounded teeth along their wavy margins. The bases of the leaves are also inequilateral, meaning that the leaves are not symmetrical where the petiole meets the leaf blade.

Unlike most woody species, the leaf buds of witch hazel are 'naked.' They lack 'bud scales' which are produced by other plants to protect tender new leaves before they unfurl.

Witch hazel also has the designation of being the only woody plant species in the northeast to bloom in autumn. While most plants are going dormant in October and November, witch hazel bursts into full flower even as it sheds its own leaves.

The flowers are a peculiar sight. Each flower has 4 linear petals that radiate from the center. The yellow petals, which measure about 3/4 inch (2cm), appear to me like miniature crepe streamers. Although the surface area of a single flower may not be large, the flowers generally occur in dense clusters and produce a tangled mass of petals that is very noticeable from afar.

The flowers last a considerably long time. Individual flowers may remain for several weeks which increases their chances of being pollinated by insects like gnats, flies, and wasps on the occasional balmy autumn day. Despite being pollinated in the autumn, the flower's ovules won't be fertilized until the spring when the pollen grains finally germinate. As if this wasn't enough of a delay, the fruits will not mature until the following autumn when the next set of flowers are in bloom.

Witch hazel produces woody capsules. As they dry, the tops of the capsules begin to open while the bases contract. This shrinking of the base puts pressure on the seeds. Eventually, enough pressure builds up to project the seeds out of the capsule and into the air. Henry David Thoreau observed this and recorded it in his journal: "Heard in the night a snapping sound, and the fall of some small body on the floor from time to time. In the morning I found it was produced by the witch-hazel nuts on my desk springing open and casting their seeds quite across my chamber, hard and stony as these nuts were." Some sources claim that the seeds can be shot up to 30 feet away.

Witch hazel is an interesting plant to behold, especially given some of its unusual traits, but this native shrub is probably best known for its medicinal uses.

Witch hazel has long been valued for its astringent properties. It is said that Native Americans would use poultices or liniments made from the leaves, twigs, and inner bark as a treatment for sore muscles, cuts, insect bites, and inflammation.

In 1866, a Baptist clergyman by the name of Thomas Newton Dickinson established the first witch hazel distillery in the town of Essex, CT. He continued to add another 8 production facilities throughout eastern Connecticut during his lifetime, but upon his death in 1900, the company was split between his sons and operated as two separate entities. In 1997, the two branches of Dickinson's original enterprise finally rejoined to form Dickinson's Brands which is still in business.

Today, extracts from witch hazel are used as a natural treatment for problems such as varicose veins and hemorrhoids and as a constituent of skin care and aftershave products.

'Oohs and ahs' - Ladies' Tresses Orchids

The white-spired inflorescences of ladies’ tresses orchids (Spiranthes spp.) are a treat to encounter in the wild, but they are also surprisingly easy to cultivate in the home garden.

Nodding ladies' tresses (Spiranthes cernua)

The nodding ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes cernua) is the most common species of Spiranthes in eastern North America, with populations ranging from Quebec and Nova Scotia west to southern North Dakota and south to Florida and Texas. Although this terrestrial orchid can occur in a variety of habitats, it is commonly found in open areas with sandy, moist soils.

S. cernua produces rosettes of narrow leaves that can grow to 1 foot (30 cm) in length. The rosettes bolt in late summer, pushing up little spires that unfurl their ivory-white blossoms in September and October. Unlike other species of Spiranthes which have inflorescences that resemble spiral staircases, the flowers of nodding ladies’ tresses are crowded on spike-like racemes, resulting in a more ‘full’ appearance.

Small colonies of nodding ladies’ tresses can form vegetatively as their thickened white roots creep through the ground and send up root sprouts. If given a good home in damp, acidic soil with plenty of sunshine, a single plant can be expected to multiply rapidly.

S. cernua is also capable of producing seed both sexually and asexually. Although seed production may help facilitate this species’ spread into new habitats in the wild, vegetative propagation is the easiest method to increase the number of plants when under cultivation.

Nodding ladies’ tresses are well-suited for home bog gardens and adapt well to container cultivation. At Garden in the Woods (GITW) in Framingham, MA, ladies’ tresses create a stunning display where they grow among cranberry plants whose fleshy fruits have already developed their distinctive crimson color. Although the ladies’ tresses remain inconspicuous throughout much of the season, they manage to draw ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ when their frosty white flowers bloom in synchrony.

Try grouping S. cernua with the native purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) and cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) to create a container that has full-season interest. Because of its low growth habit and late blooming-period, nodding ladies tresses can also be considered for areas that receive intermittent mowing before they bolt.

Cranberries - 'Eat Me!'

After spending most of my life in Ocean Spray country, I can finally say that I witnessed a cranberry harvest.

My timing was perfect. I had just left Myles Standish State Forest in Carver, MA after exploring its pinelands, and suddenly on my left-hand side, I saw millions of floating cranberries that were being corralled as if part of some strange water rodeo. The entire harvesting process was really quite a spectacle, and George, the cranberry bog owner, was kind enough to explain the steps to me.

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of cranberry production, please allow me to introduce the plant species behind the harvest-- the large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon).

The cranberry is a native trailing shrub that occurs in bogs and wetlands throughout the Northeast. Its small evergreen leaves are alternately arranged on thin, wiry stems, and though plants seldom grow taller than 8 inches, the trailing stems can spread up to 6 feet in every direction.

Cranberry flowers bloom from June through mid-July and the corollas can range from pink to white. Unlike its blueberry relatives which have their petals fused into a bell or urn shape, the cranberry corolla is deeply divided into four segments, giving the illusion of four distinct petals. These divisions are strongly reflexed, which exposes the plant's reproductive structures and makes them more accessible to pollinating insects.

After the flowers are pollinated, the ovaries swell, first turning a greenish-white color. At this stage, the fruits are barely noticeable beneath the tangled mat of vines. However, when cranberries mature to their distinctive red hue in September and October, the plump fruits become very obvious and appear to be screaming, 'eat me!'

Now back to the cranberry harvest.

Contrary to popular belief, cranberries are not grown underwater. Cranberries are actually cultivated on very sandy soils and generally require irrigation during the growing season.

Cranberry Bogs. Note the pumphouse at center and the sand being excavated in the background. Sand is applied to bogs every few years to stimulate cranberry growth and control weeds.

In the fall, pumps are used to flood the bogs for the harvest. After the water level is about 6-8 inches above the cranberry plants, a device called a 'water reel' is passed over the crop to dislodge the fruits from the vines. Because cranberries have large pockets of air inside the fruits, they float to the surface.

The masses of floating cranberries are then corralled with 'harvest booms,' which are essentially the same kind of floating plastic liners used to contain oil spills. Once the cranberries are contained, they are removed from the bog with a pump or a specialized conveyor belt and loaded  onto a truck. Finally, the cranberries are transported to a facility to be cleaned and separated. The lucky cranberries will end up on your table this Thanksgiving while others will be frozen and stored for future use.

After being dislodged from the plants, the cranberries are corralled with 'harvest booms.'

The cranberries are then pumped from the bog.

The mixture of cranberries and water is pumped onto the red truck and separated with a screen. The water is returned to the bog and the cranberries are loaded onto a second vehicle that will transport them to Ocean Spray's facilities.

I should note that not all cranberries are wet harvested. George explained that he used to dry-pick his crop with the aid of a walk-behind mechanical picker. In Massachusetts, about 10% of the cranberry crop is still harvested this way. The process may be time and labor intensive, but it produces a higher quality product that can be sold at a premium. Dry-harvested cranberries will end up at farmer's market or in your grocer's produce section while wet-harvested fruits will be processed into sauces, juices, and other products.

Now that you are all-knowing about cranberry production, you might feel compelled to cook something with this 'super-fruit.' Naturally, the Ocean Spray website has plenty of recommendations. My personal favorite for Thanksgiving is the 'Homemade Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce.' It is absurdly easy to make, and yet oh-so good.

Star of September's Glory - The New England Aster

If you see flashes of purple as you cruise down Route 495, chances are good that you are driving by patches of New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). It may be among the last plant species to bloom in autumn, but it somehow manages to produce a memorable show while other plants are going dormant.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

New England aster occurs throughout much of the Northeast and can be found growing in old fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas. The species is also considered a facultative wetland plant, which explains why it is frequently encountered in the wet soils of drainage ditches and retention basins.

This species is easy to propagate from seed, and with age, the plant will form a clump of stems that grow up to 6 feet tall. Flowers are generally produced some time in August through October and consist of yellow disk flowers surrounded by brilliant purple or pink ray flowers.

New England aster is an excellent plant species for the home garden and should be included in every butterfly garden. The masses of purple blossoms are not only visually appealing, but they provide pollen and nectar for a wide variety of pollinators, including bumblebees and migrating Monarch butterflies.

Perhaps most intriguing, the New England aster has also served as a muse for American poets. The following piece was composed by George Lansing' Taylor, a 19th century clergyman:

Born to the purplest purple, deep, intense,
    Mocking the gentian's fringe with hue more rare,
    New England Aster!-What can be more fair!-
Child of the ripe year's calm, serene suspense,
Star of September's glory! say, O whence,
    'Mid golden-rod, and golden sunflower's blaze,
    Comes the deep tone of those cyanic rays,
For long-lost violets more than recompense?
Thy paler kindred, robed in azure, white,
    And pearl, and lavender, around thee stand,
A lovely sisterhood, that laugh in light,
    And clothe with splendor many a mile of land;
But thou, imperial Aster, still art queen
Of all the radiant tribes that deck fair autumn's scene.

In the beginning...

Welcome to Nature Northeast, a blog space dedicated to the plants, animals, and ecosystems of the northeastern United States. Admittedly, most entries will focus on plant species since I am a self professed plant-dork, but expect to read posts about other topics like pollination, geology, or even the trails at your local state park.

If you have comments, questions, or corrections regarding any post, please contact me. Thanks for visiting, and happy naturing!