Hamamelis Virg

Witch hazel, a North American shrub that flowers in autumn, traditionally used in homoeopathy for piles, varicose veins and bruised, sore tissues.

Witch hazel is a shrub or small tree of the damp woods of eastern North America. It is unusual for flowering in autumn, when its spidery yellow flowers appear as the leaves fall, and its seed capsules split open with force the following year. Distilled witch hazel water is a familiar astringent in skin care.

Homoeopaths traditionally associate it with the veins: bleeding piles that feel sore and raw, varicose veins that ache and feel bruised, and slow, dark, passive bleeding such as nosebleeds. It is also linked with bruises and the sore, tired limbs that go with them.

• Bleeding piles
• Varicose veins
• Bruised soreness
• Nosebleeds