Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)
For many gardeners not much goes on in February. That's where this botanical outlier comes in. Blooming way before other plants in mid-late winter (or for some areas the last thing to bloom in fall) the curious yellow (copper or red) flowers are a welcome sight. Looking like twisty yellow ribbons or shoestring fries depending upon your perspective, the fragrant flowers will brighten your day when it's needed most. Better yet it's perused by bees seeking food in the earliest (or latest) days of the season.
Type: Deciduous shrub
Habitat Function: Nectar plant for bees and other pollinators, larval host plant for Spring Azure butterfly
Attracts: Bees, butterflies, beneficial insects
Landscape Use: Specimen, woodland garden, shrub border or hedge, rain garden
Hardiness: Zones 4-8 for species, 5-8 for for hybrids
Color: Yellow, copper, red depending upon species or cultivar
Native: To North America, Asia
Light: Full sun for best bloom, tolerates partial shade
Soil: Prefers somewhat acidic, loamy soil
Water: Keep moist, mulch in hotter climates
Size: Matures to 15 feet tall and wide
Species: Common Witch Hazel H. virginiana, Ozark Witch Hazel H. vernalis
Cultivars: H x intermedia:
'Pallida', pale yellow, 'Diane', coppery red, 'Jelena' , coppery orange, 'Arnold Promise', light yellow, 'Barmstedt Gold', dark yellow
Did You Know? The branches were used for divining rods for water witching. The bark is used to make an astringent used for both medicinal and cosmetic purposes.
