Hamamelis / Witch Hazels.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vernal Witch Hazel. Vernal witch hazel (H. vernalis); zones 4 through 8; 6 to 10 feet. Durable plant for the East, Midwest, and upper South. Effective in groupings near large buildings and also makes a good screen or unpruned hedge. Witch hazel tree zone 4 free to Buy Witch Hazel Growers of unusual trees and shrubs since Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) – Tree Canada Ruby Glow (Hamamelis ‘Ruby Glow’) We grow all our witchhazels as small single stemmed trees. Mar 19,  · There are four species of witch hazels: American witch hazel (H. virginiana); Chinese witch hazel (H. mollis); Ozark witch hazel (H. vernalis); and Japanese witch hazel (H. japonica). Witch hazel has a long history of medicinal use. Native Americans used the leaves and bark as a poultice or tea to reduce inflammation and fever.
 
 

Which Witchhazel | Extension

These are the witch hazels native to the Ozark Mountains areas of Missouri and Arkansas, renowned for their intensely fragrant though smaller-sized flowers. Look for H. Bell, “but the display would be fantastic against a white house or pale stone wall. Alone among the four major witch hazel species, Hamamelis japonica won’t be found in our trials — while it’s common on the mountainsides of Japan, it can’t handle the extremes in Chicago-area weather.

There is one example of the species at the Chicago Botanic Garden, though: it’s a bonsai, one of the 19 trees donated by Japanese bonsai master Susumu Nakamura to our collection in A spectacular tree in an unexpected size, this witch hazel was the star of our Three Friends of Winter bonsai silhouette show in January; it can be seen periodically in the bonsai courtyards.

To get to the Bernice E. The witch hazel trial beds are at the far north end of the garden. You can’t miss them — they’ll be the only thing blooming in winter! It’s a sight every smart gardener should see. Want to know more about witch hazel cultivars? Our Plant Information staff has the information! Click here to read more about it. Karen Zaworski is a garden writer and photographer who lives and gardens in Oak Park, Illinois. Plant Information. Once established, they are virtually maintenance-free and resistant to most pests and diseases.

Witch hazel extract is commonly used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. While most varieties reach feet high and wide at maturity, witch hazels can be kept smaller with pruning once they are finished blooming. Suckering twigs that form around the base should be removed. Once new flower buds appear, branches can be cut and forced to bloom inside. These east coast native shrubs or small trees are commonly found in wooded areas from Canada to Georgia.

Clusters of citrus-scented petals appear in late fall before the leaves have dropped. Known for its medicinal properties, the bark extract is used as a time-honored remedy for a variety of skin and other bodily ailments. Native to Missouri and Arkansas, this is the most shrub-like species. Its yellow or red flowers are small, but profuse and appear between January and April. The most fragrant of all species, Chinese varieties begins blooming as early as January and has buttery yellow petals and clear yellow fall foliage.

Hybrids of Japanese witch hazel H. Buy now from Spring Hill Nurseries. Available since , this upright grower blooms from late January into March. Its honey-yellow flowers have a bright, rich scent. Wider than it is high at maturity feet by 10 feet-the Orange Beauty’s deeply pigmented flowers have a strong smell and are deer resistant. Maximum size is 12 feet wide by 15 feet high. Dark red flowers are smaller than those of other witch hazel varieties and emit a mild fragrance.

Maximum size is nine feet wide by nine feet high. Copper-orange flowers bloom early and give off a strong, spicy scent not unlike that of tuberose. In my garden, this broad-spreading shrub blooms about mid-February. It’s one of the best and one of my favorites. While I do not, many consider this a variety of H.

Fragrance is weak. Fall leaf color is a combination of orange and red. The original plant is now more than 20 feet high and wide; form is erect and vase-shaped, particularly in youth. Japanese Witch Hazel Japanese witch hazel H.

This is a sparsely branched, spreading, at times almost flat-topped shrub or small tree. Most of the plants I have seen in cultivation were wide-spreading shrubs. The 2- to 4-inch-long leaves often have a sheen and in fall turn rich combinations of yellow, red, and purple. Two or three flowers occur together on the leafless branches in February or March. They are less showy than those on H. Flowers are scented, but not as strongly as those of H.

Tall-growing form to 15 to 18 feet has horizontally angled branches. Small yellow flowers with a brown base and a faint sweet scent are produced in abundance. Fall leaf color is yellow. A beautiful plant, but not quite up to the H. Chinese Witch Hazel Chinese witch hazel H. This native of central China is one of the best witch hazels for the landscape, and probably the most fragrant. Flowers make a beautiful show in February or March. Leaves are 3 to 6 inches long and almost as wide.

They’re an unremarkable medium green in summer, then turn a spectacular yellow to yellow-orange in fall. In my garden, foliage changes in late October or early November. Left to its own devices, this oval to rounded shrub could grow to 20 feet, but overall the growth rate is slow.

Compared to the species, flowers are brighter yellow and open three to four weeks earlier: mid-January in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The original year-old plant of this variety is 15 feet tall and wide. Large flowers, a rich golden yellow suffused with claret at base, have a strong, and sweet scent and often appear later than on other H.

Petals are fatter than those of the species. It flowers in early February in my garden and has been consistently spectacular in Athens and Atlanta, Georgia. Habit is upright and vase-shaped. Vernal Witch Hazel Vernal witch hazel H. Durable plant for the East, Midwest, and upper South. Effective in groupings near large buildings and also makes a good screen or unpruned hedge.

This plant’s most unusual feature is its early flower date: late December or early January in zone 7, early March in zone 5. Plant is multistemmed, dense, and rounded.

Overall, the look is neat, but form is variable. It can also send up shoots from the roots, forming large colonies.