Eac… Most perennial plants bloom for roughly two weeks, but witch hazel does so for eight weeks or more. [11] [15] [ needs update ] [16] It is commonly used to treat diaper rash in infants, and may reduce symptoms of inflammation from minor skin injuries. The blooms are generally not much bigger than a penny, composed of ribbon-like petals in a variety of colors such as orange, yellow, red, pink, and purple. Fruits of the witch hazel from last autumn's flowers are readily visible among the bright green leaves of spring. Here is a photo of mine taken October 27, 2010 Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana, Hamamelidaceae) is our kinky, golden-star flower shrub or small tree that blooms in cold weather when all other flowers are absent from the landscape. Often found on shaded hillsides or in deep ravines, Witch-hazel can be easily found on the Blue Ridge Parkway from milepost 130 through milepost 367. These flowers will then be replaced with superb deep green leaves. The Japanese witch hazel, H. japonica, blooms February through March and has more fragrant flowers. A brisk winter walk through the Missouri Botanical Garden can … If a product is available for shipping, these are the terms: For spring, our plants will be shipped from March 1st (weather dependent) until the week of April 26th. 1 of 2 Pick Witch Hazel 1 of 2 possible photos. from the four major Hamamelis species. Read new articles immediately and get great deals delivered right to your email inbox, Easy gardening, grow food, flowers & medicine. Witch hazel flowers. Witch-hazel is a dazzling shrub that blooms in winter, as early as January.. Witch-hazel facts, a summary. The fruits release the small, black seeds explosively, sometimes hurling them 30 feet (10m) away from the parent tree. If you are sitting inside by the fire drinking cognac gazing at … The genus name, Hamamelis, means "together with fruit", referring to the simultaneous occurrence of flowers with the maturing fruit from the previous year. Witch Hazel, A Bloomin' Favorite in Winter . This is not too surprising, since many flies are active at fairly low temperatures. Even though Witch-hazel blooms when the weather is cooler, it relies primarily on insects for pollination. It's always something of a miracle to see flowers in bloom this early and no matter the weather. They are beautiful. Witch hazel was one of the few commercial treatments for acne when I was a teenager, but young people today have better treatments available and many have never heard of witch hazel, though it is used in many cosmetic products. However, if you wish to balance or reduce the shrub, it’s rather better to wait for the blooming to end. It does however bloom in January or February. The large, rounded, dark green leaves often hang onto the winter branches. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Winter-flowering witch hazels can sometimes be mistaken for a confused or over-achieving Forsythia, as both shrubs grow quite large and have flowers that open before any foliage appears. Some flowers may linger on the branches into December. The natural acidity this bark bequeaths favors witch-hazel growth and retains moisture. Need advice? Family – Hamamelidaceae Guess that warm spell did the trick altho this is about average--maybe a couple of days early. Its crinkly yellow flowers bloom in the fall. Click to open posts in a new tab. Soil – rather rich, Foliage – deciduous The Garden grows numerous named cultivars. Most perennial plants bloom for roughly two weeks, but witch hazel does so for eight weeks or more. Another witch hazel is the Vernal witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis). Common witch-hazel is a large shrub with a picturesque irregular branching habit that naturally grows along woodland edges. Notable for its fall color, fragrant yellow flowers, long bloom time, and narrow profile, ‘Arnold Promise’ can be seen in both the Daylily and Woodland Gardens. The leavesare alternately arranged, oval, 2–6 in (5.1–15.2 cm) long and 1–4 in (2.5–10.2 cm) broad, with a smooth or wavy margin. Late Sep-Oct. Where does this bloom? But these witch-hazels all bloom in early spring. Actually the witch hazel deserves its own story. Tradition calls for well-wishing to all as the year starts in most of the world! Hamamelis virginiana (common witch hazel) is a 15- to 20-foot-tall shrub that flowers with yellow blooms from October to December. I never realized witch hazel was an actual plant. Note also that witch hazel is particularly hardy to the cold, and so growing it in pots is all the more possible. For plants purchased in pots or containers, you can plant in other seasons than fall as long as both hot and cold spells are avoided. It will also grow in perfect harmony with the Chinese fringe flower that also blooms in winter. Follow us there, comment, and share! Witch-hazel (hamamelis virginiana) can be found from Nova Scotia to Texas and is native to eastern North America. No comments yet – be the first to share your thoughts! Learn how to grow witch hazel in your garden with the RHS expert guide on choosing, planting, feeding, pruning and propagating plants. When the witch-hazel loses its leaves in fall, it then grows magnificent flowers with lemon-yellow colors at the beginning of January. So you might have thought it was a sign of spring but the blooms likely have been there since fall. It still removes excess oil without drying the skin as much as rubbing alcohol. American Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), is an understory shrub of North America’s eastern deciduous forests. Required fields are marked *. Since this tree appreciates acidic soil, feel free to pair it with heath plants with evergreen leafage such as camellia, azalea, rhododendron and heather. Learn more about the folklore surrounding witch hazel and enjoy some helpful medicinal recipes starring witch hazel. It has yellow blooms with red centers that appear in … In winter, if it really doesn’t rain and the ground is dry, water when it isn’t freezing to ensure you’ll have proper blooming. Interesting to note, the Witch Hazel bush does not bloom in spring -- it blooms in October - February if you can imagine that! Lastly, let us note that it is quite invulnerable to diseases and parasites which makes it an easy tree to care for. The Garden cultivates two species that are native to North America: H. virginiana and H. vernalis. Height – 6 ½ to 16 feet (2 to 5 meters) Exposure – full sun, part sun Soil – rather rich. “Even here, with our severe winters, I’ve seen it start as early as New Year’s Day,” says Stephen Breyer, owner of Tripple Brook Farm in Southhampton, MA. Also nice: create or join a topic on our trees and shrubs forum, too. Fortunately, while roses don’t bloom in winter, witch hazel (Hamamelis) does. Witch-hazel is perfectly suited to growing in a small garden because of two things. Most species bloom from January to March and display beautiful spidery flowers that let off a slightly spicy fragrance. Witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, native to North America, is a shrub found all along the east coast, from Florida all the way up to Nova Scotia. Nice to know the origin. Watering is needed on a regular basis for witch-hazel when it’s hot and during the 2 first years after planting. The flowers are not as fragrant as those of the widely planted Chinese witch-hazel ( Hamamelis mollis) or the popular hybrid H. × intermedia (a lovechild of H. mollis and H. japonica, the Japanese witch-hazel). 'Wisley Supreme ' is a Chinese witch hazels and tops out at 10-15 ft. tall and 10-15 ft. wide. Winter is over! Exposure – full sun, part sun Posted by: Chasity DeKay | February 27th, 2018 at 4:13 pm . (Witch hazel 'Quasimodo') 'Quasimodo' _ 'Quasimodo' is a compact, rounded, deciduous shrub with ovate, veined, dark green leaves turning yellow and orange in autumn. Depending on the species, witch hazel blooms at odd times, usually when not many other flowers are out. Native witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, has clear yellow flowers that begin to bloom in October, although they are often masked under the plant's leaves. Your email address will not be published. Chinese fringe-flower shrubs generally begin flowering in late winter, usually in February, and cover themselves in masses of blossoms through March. Flowers are strongly fragrant. Witch-hazel is a dazzling shrub that blooms in winter, as early as January. Pruning and caring are practices that will enhance blooming and growth. Flowering – January to March. Quasimodo Vernal Witch Hazel: Native: No: USDA Zone: Zone 4: Shipping Terms. Various fly species are the most frequent flower visitors. H. mollis, the Chinese witch hazel, has a long bloom period (January through March) and has quarter-sized yellow flowers that are less likely to be fragrant (an exception is ‘Goldcrest’). Asiatic species of Witchhazels are among the most exciting shrubs & small trees for the winter garden, not only for the beautiful form of their gnarly limbs & scaly bark, but most especially because they are in full bloom a couple weeks after Christmas. Common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) blooms from mid-October to early December. The yellow, strap-like flowers of this native shrub are among the last blooms to appear in fall, but are often hidden by the leaves. Witch hazel is a shrub that deserves a spot in any garden. Foliage – deciduous Flowering – January to March. Water in case of heat wave or prolonged dry spell because plants in pots need water more often. Bloom Time. American witch-hazel is a small, spreading tree of the subcanopy. It is hardy in zones 3 to 8. Some bloom early in February and others, like the ‘Arnold Promise,’ typically flower later in the month with blooms that can be quite fragrant! Your email address will not be published. Wise Wintersweet facts Name – Chimonanthus praecox Family – Calycanthaceae Type – shrub…, The complete guide to spending January in the garden. Fragrant, spider-like, yellow-orange flowers bloom on bare branches in mid- to late winter. Several species of bees, small wasps, moths and even beetles have also been documented as potential Witch-hazel pollinators. Bloom time depends heavily on weather. The yellow flowers exude a pleasant spicy fragrance. It first opens in winter, usually during a warm spell, but the flowers don’t die when the temperature drops back down. Photo by J.S Peterson, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database. Photo by Larry Stritch. The witch-hazels are deciduous shrubs or (rarely) small trees growing to 10–25 feet (3.0–7.6 m) tall, rarely to 40 ft (12 m) tall. Recycle your green waste to cover your hardy…, Wintersweet is a wonderful winter-blooming shrub tree. I would love to have some here in Central Texas. They are hardly noticeable. Type – shrub, Height – 6 ½ to 16 feet (2 to 5 meters) Extracts from the leaves, bark, and twigs provide the aromatic salve called witch hazel, used to sooth cuts and burns and the rasp of the shaving razor. We believe that sunlight hitting a frosty witch hazel bloom is one of the most enchanting sights in the winter garden. Witch-hazel flowers are remarkable thanks to their uniqueness and especially because they appear right in the middle of winter. I just see it in the health and beauty section. Hamamelis vernalis 'Quasimodo'. Early March is a good time to see many in bloom. Yes, that’s right. health benefits and therapeutic properties of witch-hazel, Yellow witch-hazel (also on social media), Snow on orange witch-hazel (also on social media). Changing Your Order - If you have an order that has been placed, the only way to modify it is by emailing us. The planting of witch-hazel is preferably performed in fall to promote root development before winter. Witch-hazel is now an ingredient widely used in many pharmaceutical preparations thanks to its soothing properties on skin, especially dermatitis, and its influence on blood flow, varicose veins and hemorrhoids. What these little flowers lack in size, they make up for in quantity and timing. The common witch hazel (H. virginiana) peaks between mid October and mid November. Vernal witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) and the intermedia witch hazels (hybrids resulting from crosses between Japanese and Chinese witch hazels) flower from early February to late March. Witch-hazel may be sold as a semisolid ointment, cream, gel, or salve for topical use. On the other hand, most vernal witch hazels (H. vernalis) bloom in late winter, often whilst retaining their leaves; the Garden’s earliest blooming Ozark witch hazel is ‘Christmas Cheer,’ on display in the Daylily and Woodland Gardens.