Whether you think of them as small trees or large shrubs, they are manageably sized, topping out at 10 to 20 feet, with some spreading forms nearly as wide. As with all of our trials in the Plant Evaluation Garden, gardeners can witness the process as young witch hazels settle in, grow, bloom year after year, and mature into full-size plants under conditions similar to those in your own yard.Īt first glance, witch hazels hardly seem candidates for tests or trials, since, as a group, they are hardy, maintenance-free, and ignored by most pests. It's year two of our six-year witch hazel trial, which compares 36 different cultivars (three of each!) from the four major Hamamelis species. Lavin Plant Evaluation Garden: dozens and dozens of witch hazels will all burst into bloom at once in February. If you don’t believe me about love being in the air …even a hamamelis seed pod can have a heart!Īnd while on the subject of those seed heads.Something amazing is about to happen in the Bernice E. There’s also no competition from the leaves unlike their American cousin as these witch hazels bloom on the bare winter branches.
These Asian witch hazels that I grow are unlike the native witch hazel from the USA Hamamelis virginiana which flowers during the late autumn. You can safely prune the previous years growth away as long as you make your pruning cut about 1cm above a dormant bud. Just don’t prune later in the summer as you could end up pruning away flowering wood and might not get as many flowers during the next winter flowering season. I usually do that in early April just before the new leaves appear. Witch hazel ‘Jelena’ is the only one that I need to prune at the moment. If they get too big I know that I can prune to keep them at a manageable size. But I know that they’ll be a real investment for future winter colour. These are shrubs to treasure in the winter garden! Witch hazel ‘Diane’ and ‘Orange Beauty’ may just be 2.5 feet each in height at the moment in my own garden. I can see these coppery yellow blooms from my kitchen window though they are non scented and the furthest away in the garden.ĭoes Size Really Matter ? Never let the ultimate size of a witch hazel put you off growing it! It’s planted next to the driveway and is lightly scented. It’s slow growing and it has red blooms though when the sun is shining on them there are subtle hints of orange too. It’s planted between the driveway and the path to my front door and it has orange yellow blooms which are very fragrant. I can view this one from my lounge window. #2 Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Orange Beauty’ Though it is showing encouraging signs of recovery. The blooms are still quite sparse but considering that last year I only had 1 bloom during the winter. I nearly lost this plant after the harsh winters of 2009/2010. It’s great for a small garden as it doesn’t take up as much space as other witch hazels. It’s planted near the patio so that its sweetly scented blooms can be enjoyed not far from the house. I can see this one with its sulfurous yellow blooms from my living room window. These are plants that you’ll need to grow somewhere that you can view the flowers from indoors just in case the weather doesn’t entice you into the garden. While their subtle fragrances can fill the morning air seducing the few pollinators that dare to fly at this time of year. The witch hazels have such gorgeous colours from December onwards with their peak flowering in February. As a result each year the colour just gets better and better.
The winter colour from these deciduous shrubs/ small trees ranges from the palest sulphurous yellow to red. The four Hamamelis varieties in the leavesnbloom garden are all x intermedia hybrids with their parentage from the Japanese witch hazels – Hamamelis japonica and the Chinese witch hazels – Hamamelis mollis.
It’s attractive enough to lure the few wildlife pollinators that might just happen to be in the vicinity …never mind a gardener! Though in my opinion both are rare finds in a Perthshire garden in February …unless the gardener is also a photographer! It’s fertile, desirable and scentactional! This love is resilient and persevering even if the winter temperatures get down to minus double digits. Love really is in the air! It’s sweet and it’s spicy. February is the season of romance and seduction.
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