What about Witchhazel?

Posted by Katie Elzer-Peters
December 18th, 2008
Filed in Garden Maintenance, Soil and Fertilizer

Continuing with the seasonal plant profiles, this week ends with Witchhazel.  Underloved until it starts blooming, Witchhazels are mysterious and beautiful additions to fall and winter gardens.  Organic gardeners have much to love about the witchhazel because the plants are rarely affected with pest or disease problems.  There are two main species in North America.  Hamamelis virginiana, or common witchhazel, blooms in the fall–October and November in most areas.  Hamamelis vernalis, vernal witchhazel, blooms in the spring–March and April.  Planting a mix of cultivars from the two species ensures a longer bloom period with a grove or cluster of similar-looking shrubs.  Massing the two together is simple, but effective.  Here’s how to get the most out of witchhazels in the garden.

Selecting the Right Cultivar or Hybrid

The key to happiness with witchhazels in the garden is selecting the right cultivar.  A common complaint about straight species witchhazels is that their leaves persist, or stay on the plant, throughout the fall and winter, obscuring their small, delicate, yet beautiful flowers.  You don’t have to deal with dead leaves all winter, though.  There are cultivars of each species that drop their leaves, making way for the flowers.  Most witchhazel flowers are yellow but there are cultivars with larger flowers and red or orange flowers.  Here is a rundown of some of the most popular witchhaze cultivars.

H. virginiana

‘Autumn Embers’- Orange flowers, autumn color is red-purple.

‘Sandra’- Yellow orange flowers, fragrant, autumn color orange.

x intermedia Hybrids

The intermedia hybrids are witchhazel crosses between Japanes and Chinese witchhazels.  The intermedias are hardier, but are usually grafted onto species rootstocks.  Witchhazels are notorious for suckering, so if you do happen to plant an intermedia hybrid, be certain to prune away any suckers that originate from below the graft union.

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’

This hybrid has thick clusters of yellow flowers with red salyx (attachments to the branches)

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’

Beautiful fall color of red, orange and yellow.  Flowers are red.

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’

Large (for witchhazel) orange and red flowers in January and February.

Witchhazel Growing Conditions

The key to keeping your plants happy is planting them in the right place.  Witchhazels like the following conditions (though the requirements vary slightly with the species or cultivar).

Light:  Partial Sun

Water:  Moist, well drained

Acidity:  Neutral  (will tolerate alkaline if kept moist)

Soil:  Likes rich, loamy but well-drained soil

Witchhazel In Myth and Legend

Distilled witchhazel oil is used in a wide variety of medicinal treatments. It was first marketed as a remedy in 1866, and is still used today.

Dowsers or “water witches” sometimes use branches cut from witchhazel as divining rods to locate places to dig wells.

Witchhazels are a worthy addition to your garden plan!