As of: January 25, 2024 2:07 p.m
Delicate, thread-like flowers in yellow, orange or red – the easy-care witch hazel promises a touch of spring in the middle of winter. Many types of witch hazel also have a pleasant smell.
Anyone who has planted a witch hazel in their garden can look forward to a really attractive and undemanding winter bloomer. The small tree or shrub is between two and four meters high, but grows very slowly. After two to three years, the witch hazel sprouts more vigorously and should then if possible not be replanted.
Cut witch hazel
As a rule, the witch hazel does not need any pruning; only slight corrections to the growth habit should be made if necessary. The reason: Witch hazel sprouts poorly from old wood and the wounds caused by cutting do not heal well.
Many varieties of witch hazel are fragrant
There are a total of five species of witch hazel, three originally from North America and two from Asia. Except for the Virginian witch hazel – which blooms in autumn – all species open their delicate flowers in winter.
Many new varieties have emerged from crossing the Japanese witch hazel with the Chinese witch hazel.
The Asian witch hazel species are particularly popular: the particularly large flowers of the Japanese and Chinese witch hazel often bloom for weeks and months – from December to March. Hybrids, i.e. crosses, from the two Asian species are usually offered commercially. They are called hybrid witch hazel (Hamamelis × intermedia). The numerous varieties differ significantly in terms of color and shape. Some, such as the “Moonlight” and “Pallida” varieties, have a particularly intense scent.
Award for four witch hazel varieties
If you want to plant a particularly robust witch hazel, you can choose a so-called premium tree. The Premium Trees Working Group awards its rating to selected varieties of certain trees. The criteria include winter hardiness, resistance to pests, ornamental value and robustness. Four witch hazel varieties have also received this seal of quality. Varieties with this rating meet the evaluation criteria nationwide and therefore for different climatic regions.
AUDIO: Premium trees: Which ones are suitable for the garden? (42 mins)
Flowers tolerate frost
To protect itself from frost, the witch hazel uses a trick: when it gets very cold, the petals roll up to protect themselves, and when the temperatures rise they open again. However, if the severe frost continues, the flowers on the otherwise leafless plant take a long time to appear.
The right location for the witch hazel
The witch hazel is well suited as a solitary plant.
The hardy witch hazel needs a sunny, sheltered location that protects it from harsh easterly winds. The garden soil should be loose and rich in humus and never dry out completely. The witch hazel is well suited as a solitary plant. Over the years it takes up a lot of space with its funnel-shaped crown, so other plants should be planted with sufficient distance. If you want to see the witch hazel from your house in winter, you should keep this in mind when looking for a suitable spot. The best planting time is in autumn or spring; it is best to enrich the planting hole with compost.
Pretty eye-catcher in autumn
In spring and summer the witch hazel is rather inconspicuous, it then looks a bit like the hazelnut. But in autumn the leaves of many varieties turn golden yellow to purple red – ideal for a garden with an “Indian summer” look.
Further information
When most trees and bushes are bare, winter bloomers such as viburnum and witch hazel make their grand appearance. more
Many bright yellow flowers during the winter months: winter jasmine provides colorful accents in the dreary garden. more
Winter snowball sets beautiful accents in the garden. The impressive flowers exude a wonderful scent. more
This topic in the program:
NDR 1 Lower Saxony | Garden podcast: All carrots, or what?! | 01/18/2023 | 7:00 p.m