Birth flower for January 26
Witch hazel
Meaning: inspiration
Witch hazel flowers on bare branches in deep winter, each bloom a burst of four thin, crinkled ribbons. On freezing days the petals roll up, then unfurl again when it warms. The 'witch' has nothing to do with witches: it comes from an Old English word for pliant, and its forked twigs were once used as divining rods to search for water.