Hamamelis vernalis -Vernal Witchhazel (Hamamelidaceae) ------Hamamelis vernalis is known as a very early and flaring at its ends; not ornamentally significant, but a fragrant-flowering shrub. Vernal Witchhazel has a good identification feature that is persistent into the rounded to spreading growth habit at maturity, and is following season adaptable to a wide range of soil, sunlight, and Twigs moisture conditions. It is used here to represent a -densely pubescent when young, becoming smooth group of early-flowering, fragrant and showy shrubs. during the second year, transitioning from tan to gray, with distinctive knobby floral buds on the old and small, linear, naked vegetative buds (without FEATURES scales) on the terminal growth Form Trunk -medium-sized (to -not applicable large-sized) ornamental shrub USAGE -maturing at about Function 8' tall x 8' wide -shrub utilized as a specimen, in a group planting at under typical the border, naturalized along streambanks or urban conditions, wetlands, planted for erosion control at wet or dry but sometimes sites, or as a non-thorny informal barrier hedge much larger Texture -upright vased -medium-bold in foliage and when semi-bare growth habit in -thick density in foliage and when truly bare youth, quickly becoming rounded and spreading with Assets age -extremely fragrant flowers in winter or very early -slow growth rate spring (this genus represents the first group of woody plants to flower) Culture -equally tolerant of wet or dry sites, sunny or shady -full sun to partial shade sites, and gravelly or clay soils (excellent choice for -performs best in full sun in moist soils that are naturalized areas, erosion sites, or neglected areas) loamy or sandy, but is very tolerant of rocky to Liabilities gravelly soils, poor soils, clay soils, wet or dry soils, -dead foliage often persists and partially hides the and soils of various pH miniature flowers -no significant disease problems, an occasional leaf -autumn color is often poor gall being the only cosmetic pest problem -suckering and forming a tight colony with age (can -commonly available in B&B or container form be an asset for erosion control or naturalized areas) -roots that are close to the multi-stemmed shrub will Habitat often sucker with maturity, forming tight colonies -Zones 3 to 8 (unless they are pruned away) -Native to regions of the Southern U.S. to the Great -dead foliage is often persistent on all but the first- Plains year wood, and if maximum floral effect is to be achieved, they must be hand-picked by the time that SELECTIONS flowers emerge in winter Alternates Foliage -shrubs with fragrant blossoms (species and hybrids -medium green to dark green, alternate, distinctly of Clethra, Itea, Philadelphus, Syringa, some obovate, rather thick, and about 4" long, having Viburnum, etc.) deeply crenate margins, impressed veins, a cuneate -shrubs that bloom in late winter or early spring asymmetrical base, and a short petiole (Corylus avellana 'Contorta', Viburnum farreri, -autumn color is yellowish green in many years but Pieris japonica, Salix discolor, etc.) golden-yellow in Cultivars -Variants - Related species good years -Hamamelis x intermedia - hybrids of H. japonica Flowers and H. mollis constitute some of the best early- -variable from blooming Witchhazels in commerce today: bright yellow to dull 'Arnold Promise' - sulfur-yellow flowers are strongly orange to red-orange and pungently fragrant, growth habit remains vased for the species form, longer than most Witchhazels, and autumn color is an extremely fragrant outstanding mixture of green, yellow, orange, and red -the flowers are in 'Diane' - flowers are coppery-red to bronzed-red and tight clusters on the mildly fragrant, but dead foliage is somewhat short lateral stems, persistent in winter usually opening 'Jelena' (also known as 'Copper Beauty') - flowers are during the few warm a glowing copper-color from a distance, but are days of Jan. or Feb. actually red at the base, orange in the center, and and persisting into yellow at the tip of the petals; also having red-orange Mar. or early Apr. autumn leaves that abscise well -flowers are small Hamamelis virginiana – another native U.S. species; (about 0.5" long), flowers yellow, 1.5" in diameter, bloom in late with 4 narrow petals autumn about the time leaves drop. Does well in Fruits woods, shade, poor conditions -2-valved capsule is a drab yellowish green-olive color in late summer, eventually splitting open and