Growing Witch Hazel: Tips at a Glance
Witch hazel is a perennial shrub that blooms in winter on bare wood, with branches of wispy yellow or orange flowers that look lovely in a vase.
- Type Shrub, small tree
- USDA Zones 5-8
- Sun Needs it to flower
- Soil Well-drained
- Design Tip Slow grower
- Peak Season Deep winter
- Site Protect from wind
- Other Uses Planter on wheels
- Color Orange, red flower
Witch Hazel: A Field Guide
While most garden plants are deep in winter slumber, it’s witch hazel—Hamamelis—that springs to life, putting on a fragrant and colorful show.
In winter’s darkest months—provided there’s some sun—witch hazel rewards with blooms of yellow, gold and red. See some glowing winter landscapes at Winter Enchantment: 9 Best Witch Hazels for a Luminous Garden.
We think the best floral colors come from the hybrid Hamamelis x intermedia, while Chinese witch hazel (H. mollis) offers up the best scent. H. virginiana is the fragrant but not-so-showy variety that grows in woodland clearings. Witch hazel grows up to 15 feet in 20 years. Prune when flowers are spent, before summer. Bring snipped flowering branches inside for a simple, structural arrangement.
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