Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month: Chinese witchhazel

By Sarah Baker, Kruckeberg Garden Directror

Special to the ShorelineAreaNews

Is there a better way to banish the January blues than with fragrant, cheerful flowers? We don’t think so. Chinese witchhazel (Hamamelis mollis) is fabulous in January and February as its filamentous yellow flowers open and release their perfume into the air. Native to eastern China, it has also been hybridized with Japanese witchhazel to form several popular cultivars that also flower in winter.

Though worth growing for its fragrance alone, this shrub also has other attributes. In the autumn, the downy gray-green leaves add some color to the garden as they turn from yellow to red. In the winter, the flowers’ pollen is a food source for hummingbirds during the cold, lean months. This remarkably tolerant shrub has few insect and disease problems, and little pruning is usually needed.

In their native habitat, Chinese witchhazels grow best in the understory or at woodland edges. They need decent soil and a blend of sun and dappled shade to reach their full potential. Plant one where you will walk near it in the winter, and enjoy!

Photos by Vicki Demetre, Kruckeberg Gardens