In short
- Flowers in winter, from January to March, on bare stems — a rarity in the garden.
- The flowers are distinctly fragrant, and their narrow petals withstand frost.
- In autumn the leaves turn yellow, orange and red.
- Requires fertile, fresh, humus-rich and slightly acidic soil.
- Grows slowly; many cultivars are grafted plants — remove rootstock suckers.
Botanical data
- Family
- Hamamelidaceae (Hamamelidaceae)
- Height
- 2–4 m
- Width
- 2.5–4 m
- Habit
- Spreading
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Position
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil
- Humus-rich, Loamy, Peaty
- pH reaction
- pH 5–6.5
- Moisture
- Moderate, Moist
- Bloom
- January–March
- Hardiness
- USDA 5a–8a
- Propagation
- By layering, From cuttings
Characteristics
A spreading, vase-shaped shrub 2–4 m high. At the turn of winter and early spring, clustered flowers with four narrow, ribbon-like petals unfold on the bare shoots, strongly fragrant. In frost the petals roll up to protect themselves from freezing and unfurl again during a thaw. In autumn the broad, oval leaves take on intense colours.
Growing and care
Watering
Requires constantly fresh but not waterlogged soil. It tolerates drought poorly — in hot summers water and mulch with bark or leaves to keep moisture at the roots.
Fertilizing
Sparingly; more important than fertilising is mulching, which maintains moisture and a slightly acidic pH.
Planting
A sheltered position, fertile, humus-rich, fresh and slightly acidic soil; avoid shallow calcareous soils and dry, hot spots.
Pruning
Remove damaged, crossing and diseased shoots; on grafted plants cut out the rootstock suckers at the base.
Companion plants
Good companions
Both flower in winter and like humus-rich, fresh soil in partial shade — they create a striking winter corner.
Early bulbs beneath the witch hazel's crown extend the winter-to-early-spring floral display.
Similar soil requirements (acidic, humus-rich, fresh) — a classic companionship in the woodland garden.
Bad companions
Lavender requires dry, sunny and alkaline soil — the opposite of the witch hazel's moist, acidic position.
The witch hazel's shallow root system copes poorly with competition for moisture right by the trunk.
The evidence level indicates whether the relationship is backed by research, observation, or gardening tradition.
Toxicity
| For whom | Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | None | — |
| Dogs | None | — |
| Cats | None | — |
History and origin
The hybrid, bred in the 20th century from a cross of the Asian witch hazels — the Japanese and the woolly — combines their frost hardiness, colour and flower fragrance. The genus Hamamelis (witch hazel) is also known from the Virginian species, from whose bark and leaves the astringent cosmetic witch hazel extract is obtained.
Uses
As a specimen in the winter garden, for borders and woodland gardens in the company of acid-loving plants and early bulbs; valued for the scent and colour of its flowers in the dead season and for the autumn leaf colouring.
Trivia
- The narrow petals of the witch hazel roll up during hard frost and unfurl again on warmer days — a natural protection for the flowers.
- Most cultivars are propagated by grafting, which is why the shoots of the wild-growing rootstock have to be cut out at their base.
Frequently asked questions
When does hybrid witch hazel flower?
It flowers in midwinter, usually from January to March, on the still-leafless stems. It is one of the few plants that decorate the garden with fragrant flowers at this time of year.
Why is my witch hazel growing weakly or putting out different shoots at the base?
Witch hazel grows slowly by nature. Strong, different shoots at the base are usually suckers of the rootstock onto which the cultivar was grafted — they should be cut out, because over time they crowd out the actual plant.
What soil does witch hazel need?
It grows best on fertile, humus-rich, fresh and slightly acidic soil, in a sheltered spot. It tolerates drought and shallow, strongly calcareous substrates poorly.
Sources
- Plants of the World Online (POWO) — Hamamelis × intermediaDatabase (GBIF, POWO…)
- RHS — Hamamelis × intermediaInstitution / botanical garden
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