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The garden in winter is often barren and uninteresting, but there is an alternative. Witch hazel blooms in February with vibrant yellow, orange or rusty red spidery looking flowers. Common witch hazel is the hardiest of all [zone 3], growing to about 15 feet wide and high. These extremely hardy shrubs have clusters of flowers that look like crinkled paper streamers. Not much more than an inch long, the spidery blossoms are fragrant and cheerful, and often flower for up to a month or more. Many of the shrubs have very showy fall color, from bright yellow in some species to rich, vibrant red in others. Not commonly seen outside of botanic gardens, the introduction of hybrids has increased the popularity of this showy shrub. The Japanese witch hazel [H. japonica] and Chinese witch hazel [H. mollis] have been hybridized creating an entirely new hybrid, Hamamelis x intemedia. These vigorous shrubs are hardy to zone 5 and produce abundant yellow flowers in early March. An ideal place to plant witch hazel is a location that can be viewed from a window or in the front of your home. Its cheerful blossoms may tempt you into your garden even on the grayest day.
Witch hazels name is likely derived from the Old English wych meaning “a pliable twig” and alludes to the use of witch hazels as water-divining rods.
The bark and leaves of H. virginiana are the source of the old-fashioned astringent witch hazel. It has been used as a general household remedy, to reduce the inflammation of burns and bruises and relieve the pain of insect bites, as an after-shave lotion and even as a floor polish. Native Americans were well aware of the healing properties of witch hazel, and it can still be purchased in most drug stores.
Lindi Karmason
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