Hamamelis vernalis / Spring Witch Hazel

March 12, 2011 -  Get really close to see the flowers.

Planted in fall 2009 in the bed along the driveway, a nice specimen on sale at Bidwell's.

This witch hazel stays shrubby, to about 6 feet tall, rather than a small tree like the hybrid hazel 'Diane' that I planted next to it in 2010.

Yellow fall color.  Blooms in February or March with tiny coppery flowers.

Like the hybrid 'Diane', it holds its brown leaves all winter and they look ratty by spring.  The coppery flowers are tiny and tight and won't unfurl very much even on a warm day in the 40s.  No fragrance.

Its bushy and has thickety upright stems, different from the twisted trunk shape of the 'Diane' hybrid to its left.

10/26/13

Next to the hybrid witch hazel 'Diane' on its left, this spring witch hazel appears to be the same size, but the 'Diane' plant will get taller and more tree like, while the spring witch hazel will stay more of an upright shrub. I think.

11/1/13

Side by side you can see the difference between the hybrid witch hazel on the left, which has spreading, somewhat contorted branches, and this spring witch hazel which grows as a thicket with vertical stems.

The idea was to have the hybrid reach a spreading but tree-like height and shape, and have the spring witch hazel sit as a shrub next to and below it. But despite different forms, they are the same height and overall shape. Both are big green leafy blobs, more or less identical, all summer. So far.

In fall, both are the same golden yellow, and both are the same shape even though the branching framework below differs.

11/2/15