Hamamelis – Autumn Landscape Gold

H. virginiana brightens natural and native landscapes.

Nov 14, 2006

Hamamelis virginiana, a North American native, brings interesting golden flowers and leaf color to the autumn landscape. It merits more use in planned landscapes.

Two Hamamelis (witch hazel) species are native to the eastern United States and southern Canada. Although they grow naturally as understory trees, they possess characteristics that bring enjoyment to gardeners in planned landscapes. Their yellow-gold flowers and rich autumn leaf colors bring unexpected pleasure in both autumn and spring. Each species can grow as a multi-stem shrubby tree or be trained as a single-stem tree. With some imagination, these native species along with their Asian and European Hamamelis cousins can increase the richness of any temperate landscape.

H. virginiana (Virginia or common witch hazel) wins the prize for hardiness (zones 3b to 8 or possibly 9), as well as for late autumn blooms. Its little yellow flowers capture attention from mid-October until December. Many times, the leaves are in full fall color when bloom begins and flowers are initially inconspicuous. However, they stay fresh as the leaves drop, so the little fire-cracker-shaped flowers eventually make a subtle show.

This plant likes its head in the sun, but its feet moist. However, in many natural areas, it may look a little rag-tag. In ideal conditions, Virginia witch hazel may grow as high as 30 feet and spread as much as 25 feet. In garden situations, it may grow as high as 20 feet and spread as much as 10 to 15 feet. The flowers also have more fragrance when the plant grows in the open.

Native Americans knew witch hazel and used bark of its young stems and roots to produce an astringent extract. Cultivation of this witch hazel began as early as 1736 for horticultural and commercial purposes. H. virginiana is the commercial source of witch hazel in the U.S.

As desirable a plant as this might be for nature and native landscapes, there are, unfortunately, no known cultivars of this species. However, H. virginiana is well used in horticulture as seedling stock on which nurserymen graft scions of desired witch hazel cultivars. A scion or cion is a cutting, shoot or twig containing buds from a woody plant, used in grafting. Grafting is an economical way of producing landscape-worthy plants.

The Arboretum Kalmthout in the Belgian province of Antwerp is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for the genus of Hamamelis. Excellent close-up photos Hamamelis flowers are available at the Arboretum website. This site also contains just about any information you might desire about Hamamelis.

Forest Farm, Ornamental and Useful Plants from Around the World is a online source with thousands of pictures and helpful information. However, the scientific names on the site and in Forest Farm's print catalog do not always agree with those of academic horticulturists

You might also enjoy reading my other articles about using Hamamelis species and varieties in the landscape:

The copyright of the article Hamamelis – Autumn Landscape Gold in Landscaping is owned by Georgene A. Bramlage. Permission to republish Hamamelis – Autumn Landscape Gold in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.