Want an Unusual Shrub? Plant Witch Hazel!

Witch hazel is a vase-like shrub that can grow to 15′ tall.  However, with pruning you can keep it shorter and shaped.  The spring and summer foliage is green.   In fall the leaves turn to a stunning yellow/gold and apricot.  Then in mid-October to mid-November (or later) the tree produces its spidery yellow spicy fragrant flowers.  This particular witch hazel (common) needs cooler weather before it blooms, tolerating 20 degrees.  Flowers are pollinated by flies, moths, bees, wind and also self-pollination. Even though the flowers were already pollinated in fall,  fertilization of the ovaries doesn’t occur until spring when fruits (brown capsules containing seeds that develop over summer)  are formed and then explode in early fall.   The seeds are consumed by wild turkeys, northern bobwhites, jays, chickadees, woodpeckers, titmice, nuthatches and others.  Interestingly, the forked stems of this plant has been used as “divining rods,” where the stems dip down when held over underground water.  This plant is a real stand out winner in fall.

common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Photo compliments of Bailey Nursery

Witch Hazel flower
Photo by Eva Bronzini (pexels)