Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Diane Witch Hazel, 1 by Decumbent

Decumbent wrote:
Startright,

Then you don't know what you're missing! Witchhazels are wonderful small trees, and they give you so much at times of the year when there is so little. You might've observed in my photo of the flowers that the darned thing was in full bloom in February, ground frozen, snow on the ground, fingers frozen. Yet, there it was. Sure, the flowers are a little different, but what would you expect pre-crocus, pre-daffodils, pre-pre-pre forsythia. Many are very sweetly fragrant, a very nice bonus that early in the year. And they provide much needed nectar for the beneficial insects too. They settle in and remain decently attractive through the growing season, the foliage remaining clean and green, before they explode into a kalaiscope of color fairly late in the fall. Architecturally, many are very lateral, with horizontal branching that makes them especially beautiful after a snowfall.

Hamamelis japonica and Hamamelis mollis are two oriental forms not too often seen, although H. mollis "Pallida" is reasonably available. That plant is exceptionally fragrant, but it has the somewhat annoying habit of retaining its leaves well after they have gone brown and limp. Hybrids between the two Asian species are generally the witchhazels you'll see in the trade under the epithet Hamamelis x intermedia. These vary widely in terms of form, flower color, and fragrance. All are good plants, but some are gooder than others.

There are two American species. Hamamelis vernalis, which blooms in the very early spring like the above, and Hamamelis virginiana, which is in bloom now or will be very soon. On the latter, the flowering, although unique to this time of year, is often lost in the changing foliage. This might be the main reason it has not had many selections made and why it is very hard to buy. The former, H. vernalis, tends to have smallish flowers of weakish color and it too has not developed as a garden plant and is rather difficult to find.

Pictured is H. x intermedia "Jelena."

Scott

PS-VictoriousVarment will probably come along and correct about half of what I've said above. He always does. But that's okay, because somehow or other, he's always right. Darn him! Anyway, if I can just succor my wounded ego, we make a good enough team. Me? I've got the enthusiasm, the ideas, and the good looks. VV? He's got the corrections (and the collections, especially of Viburnums).