identifyingplants:

Hamamelis virginiana // Common Witchhazel

• Grows  in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best flowering in full sun. Prefers moist, acidic, organically rich soils. Tolerates heavy clay soils. Native to woodlands, forest margins and stream banks. Zone 3-8.
• Native to eastern North America
• Crown:
• 15-20’.
• Leaves: simple, alternate.Oval to obovate, medium to dark green. Dentate to wavy margins.
• Flowers: Stem-hugging clusters. Fragrant. Bright yellow. Each with four crinkly, ribbon-shaped petals, appear along the branches from October to December, usually after leaf drop.
• Fruit: Fertilized flowers will form fruit extending through winter and into the following growing season. Greenish seed capsules that become woody with age. Mature to light brown. Each seed capsule splits open in fall of the following year, exploding the 1-2 black seeds within for up to 30 feet.
• Promptly remove suckers to prevent colonial spread
• Eco-indicator of warm sites. (wessels)

(Information from the Missouri Botanical Garden website unless otherwise specified.)