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

Leftwood wrote:
I have tried both H. mollis and H. mollis 'Pallida' up here in MN. Neither lasted more than two seasons. But I only tried each once. Our Arboretum has an H. x intermedia 'Arnold Promise', at least 20 years old. Seems to do fine. Blooms usually in Jan or Feb, whenever we have a temporary winter thaw. I remember one year it bloomed in December, after an early and exceptionally cold spell. (BTW, this is another one that no one seems to know about at the Arb. You need to snowshoe out there to see it.) Of all the intermedia's, I am guessing Arnold Promise is your best bet, but certainly not as hardy as virginiana or vernalis. Virginiana will always want to be a shrub, although I don't see why you couldn't prune it into a small tree form. Heck, the deer do it.

My plant: