#common witch-hazel

Above: A trip down the rock benches and water slides of the upper falls of Deckers Creek. This is a lovely mountain stream in the autumn, especially when the American witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) blooms and the leaves of the northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin) turn deep yellow - in sharp contrast to its brilliant red berries. Additional gold filigree is courtesy of the gorgeous yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) that grows among the boulders at the stream's edge. Hard to imagine that just a few decades ago Deckers Creek was rendered lifeless by acid mine drainage. Today, after much help and love from the Friends of Deckers Creek, most of the stream maintains a healthy pH and its fishery has been restored.

No sooner has American witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) shed its gold-yellow foliage in mid-October than it does something remarkable: it flowers. The tree’s pale yellow, ribbon-like flowers appear in dense clusters along its spindly, arching branches through late fall, often providing the last bit of color in the woods after most of the leaves have fallen. Witch-hazel holds a somewhat mystical status in the local mountains: a forked branch from this tree was once the preferred choice to make a divining rod to locate water. In the lower photo, the gold color in the upper right is from witch-hazel flowers, an indication of how profuse and dense the blooms can be. Photos were taken at Coopers Rock State Forest.

9/24/21

Transfer from Kodachrome 64 slide.