Turraea pubescens – Native Witch Hazel

Author: Jan Sked

Photos: Glenn Leiper

Published: Journal June 2020

Pronounced: turr-RE-uh pew-BESS-enz

Family: Meliaceae

Synonym: Turraea brownii

Derivation: Turraea, after Georgio Turra (or del Turre) 1607-1688, a Professor of Botany at Padua, Italy, or possibly also honouring Antonio Turra, a Professor of Botany at Vincenza, Italy, who wrote ‘Flora Italiae Prodromus’ (a flora of Italy) in 1780. pubescens is Latin for ‘reaching puberty’, ie. becoming hairy.

This is a many branched open shrub to about 3 metres tall by 3 metres across that grows as an understorey in dry and littoral rainforests and eucalypt forests along the Queensland coast, along the north coast of New South Wales, and in the extreme north of Western Australia. It is also found in India, Indonesia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

The dark green, oval-shaped leaves, 10cm long, are tapered to a long point, and are usually hairless on the upper surface, and densely hairy underneath. New growth is covered in soft hairs. It usually loses most of its leaves in the flowering season.

Masses of fragrant white trumpetshaped flowers, 3cm long, are produced in clusters of 3 to 5 in spring while the plant is leafless.

These are followed by green-brown, woody, ribbed seed capsules about 1.5cm long that ripen from January to March. At maturity these capsules open while still on the plant, split into 5-7 valves, and the black oblong seeds are revealed.

This is an interesting and fragrant addition to the garden. Does best in a semi-shaded position in a well mulched soil, but does need pruning to maintain a pleasing shape.

Propagate from seed.

NOTE: Witch-hazel is an astringent produced from the leaves and bark of the Witch-hazel shrub, Hamamelis virginiana, which was used medicinally by American
Indians. These days witch-hazel is used in various preparations such as an eye-bath, treating sores, bruises, swelling and haemorrhoids. It is also an ingredient in acne treatments, and can be used to stop minor bleeding. Whether our Turraea pubescens can be used similarly, I do not know.