P L A N T I N G S

WITCH hazel

There’s really no downtime for these hardworking shrubs, but their winter show can be particularly spectacular.

Caps of snow won’t harm witch hazel flowers, which have petals up to an inch long.

striking fall foliage, luminous coolseason fl owers, interesting seed capsules, and a handsome structure give witch hazels yearround appeal.

“They’re workhorse performers,” says

Aaron Harpold, assistant director of horticulture at the

Greater Des Moines

Botanical Garden, “so plant them in a spot where they always have an opportunity to shine.” Depending on the variety, this upright shrub can fl ower anytime between fall and early spring; for fl owers in the depths of winter, opt for Hamamelis vernalis (a North American native) or H. × intermedia hybrids, both shown here. ■ A LL I N TH E

FA M I LY

The boldest modern witch hazels—hybrids of Japanese and Chinese species— are known as H. × intermedia. They have large fl owers with a spicy fragrance and bloom in late winter; they ’re hardy to Zone 5. ‘Arnold Promise’, ‘Jelena ’, and ‘Diane’ are among the most widely available. Vernal witch hazels (H. vernalis, sometimes called Ozark witch hazels) are native to the lower Midwest and hardy to Zone 4. Their fl owers are smaller than those of the intermedia hybrids, but they are heavy bloomers with exceptional fall leaf color and a sweet fragrance. Common witch hazels, H. virginiana, are the hardiest of all—to Zone 3. They bloom in November or December with lemon-scented fl owers amid the yellow fall foliage. All witch hazels bloom up to four weeks. ■ P L A NTI N G Plant witch hazels anytime from spring through early fall. Water once a week while they are becoming established. ■ C O N D ITI O N S For the brightest fall foliage and most profuse bloom, give witch hazels a sunny spot. Well-drained, loamy soil is best. ■ P RU N I N G Light pruning will enhance witch hazel ’s natural upright growth. Intermedia witch hazels are commonly grown on grafted root stock; shoots coming up from the base of a shrub should be cut off at soil level.

Try to site plants so the soft winter sun will light up the flowers from behind.

■ D E S I G N I D E A S Try witch hazels in a mixed planting border; their upright forms especially complement shrubs with more rounded habits. Or use witch hazels as architectural elements in a yard, standing sentry by a front door or beside a garden gate. ■ S O U RC E S There are more than 100 named varieties of witch hazel, but only a couple dozen are widely available. Some can be found at garden shops and big box stores, others from mail-order specialists, including brokenarrow nursery.com and rarefi ndnursery.com.

What to know before you plant.

S U N TO PART S HAD E

M O D E R ATE

WE LL- D R AI N E D S O I L

3 '–2 0 ' TALL

ZO N E S 3 – 8

4 1

F L OW E R P E TA L S C U R L U P O N C H I L LY N I G H T S T H E N U N F U R L AG A I N .

W I N T E R P I C K S 1 ’Bernstein’ starts to fl ower in January. 2 ’Quasimodo’ grows to just 3 feet tall. 3 ’Kohankie Red’ fl owers look like starbursts. 4 ’Jelena’ bears unusual coppercolor fl owers. 5 ’Burnt Mahogany’ has tiny fl owers with a strong spicy fragrance. ■