witch hazel

A very useful tree with a cool moniker.
So how did it come to be called
witch hazel?  Basically, it comes from 
the Old English wice, meaning pliable. And
its branches have been used as divining rods (as were
the branches of the hazel tree in England). 
It's a winter-blooming tree, but I took this photo
recently—which maybe says something about
the long, cold winter we've had. 

[Linking back to Monday Mellow Yellows and Macro Monday.]