Collected on February 10, 1991, this specimen was found in Somerset County at Mount Davis (the highest point in Pennsylvania) by former Assistant Curator of Botany Sue Thompson and the current Curator of Invertebrate Zoology John Rawlins. Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a shrub native to eastern North America, which flowers in late autumn after leaves have fallen. It is also known for its medicinal uses as an astringent.
Botanists at Carnegie Museum of Natural History share pieces of the herbarium’s historical hidden collection on the dates they were discovered or collected. Check back for more!