Hamamelis, Witch Hazel 'Diane'

Hamamelis "Diane" is the fafourite in my garden. It blooms for a very long time from late January till early April

A beautiful shrub.

The flowers are lovely in informal arrangements. I find that their color doesn't stand out in the lands...Read Morecape nearly as strongly as the yellow cultivars. It shows up best when seen close up and backlit by the low winter sun.

Most plants are grafted on H. virginiana understock and need root suckers cut off annually to keep them from outcompeting the cultivar. (H. virginiana root suckers retain dead leaves into winter, the cultivar does not.)

As with all witch hazels, unskilled pruning reduces flowering and destroys its graceful natural architecture. Plant this where its ultimate size and width will be assets. This wants to be wider than high.

Is this deerproof?

Hamamelis x intermedia Diane is extremely rare and prized for its wonderful fragrance, hardiness, and uniquely colored winter-blooming fl...Read Moreowers. This hybrid Witch Hazel is a jewel in the landscape. The coppery-red flowers are unrivaled among Witch Hazels for color intensity. They appear in late winter and early spring, before the leaves, and are produced so abundantly that you will want to cut some of the flowering branches for gorgeous indoor arrangements.

In autumn, the foliage turns warm shades of yellow and red. Ultimately growing to 14 to 20 feet tall with an equal spread, Diane needs only moist, well-drained, organic soil in sun or light shade. Zones 5-8.