A genus of four species of woody shrubs, two from North America and two from Asia, all flowering in the winter/early spring except for Hamamelis virginiana L. which flowers in the autumn. The first to be discovered was the American Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, this is the plant from which is distilled an extract, quite widely used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

The other species from North America is the Ozark Witch Hazel, Hamamelis vernalis. From Asia come both the Japanese Witch Hazel, Hamamelis japonica and the Chinese Witch Hazel, Hamamelis mollis. In cultivation, hybrids have arisen, notably between the Japanese and Chinese Witch Hazels, these are designated as Hamamelis x intermedia and many of them have been given cultivar names.

Apart from H. virginiana which flowers in October and November, they all flower in the winter, between December and March, unaffected by frost. Individual plants have a flowering period of four to six weeks, depending how cold the weather is. They are medium sized to large woody shrubs, usually multi-stemmed. The flowers consist of four strap shaped petals, giving them a spidery look. With many flowers clustered along the branches, they provide welcome colour in the drab winter months.

Flower colour, particularly in the hybrids can range from pale yellow, through to red and many of them have good scent, from sweet to spicy. An added bonus in many cultivars is the autumn colour of the foliage, which can range from yellow through to orange and red.

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CULTIVATION

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Witch Hazels require a well drained soil, water logging in winter leads to root death, during summer a moisture retentive soil is required. It is difficult to provide both these conditions, good drainage in winter is vital, moisture in summer can be provided by watering of course and mulching to retain moisture is very beneficial.

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They can be grown in partial shade but flowering is more profuse in the open, they lend themselves to be being planted close to the house or near to a path where they can be readily seen from inside, or inspected closely, if near a path.

Plants must not be planted too deeply and must be watered the first growing season to aid establishment. Young plants are susceptible to late spring frost damage, so planting is best delayed in spring until after the fear of frost has passed.

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Witch Hazels are propagated by grafting onto seed raised rootstocks of the American Witch Hazel and suckers can arise from below the graft union, these should be removed as close as possible to the point from which they arise, when seen and not allowed to develop as they can take over the plant.

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Contrary to popular opinion they can be pruned to contain their size, after flowering cut the previous years growth back to, two buds. This procedure can be carried out annually from when the plants are well established after planting, in most cases two years.

They will benefit from being fed each spring with a general purpose fertiliser. It goes without saying that weed competition should not be allowed.

Pests and diseases are not a serious problem except for the root rotting diseases which are encouraged by poor drainage.