Ozark Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Vernalis) - 5 Gallon Pot

Other Names: Vernal Witch Hazel

What we love most about this tough but pretty North American native flowering shrub is that it blooms right in the middle of winter into early spring, when we need color most in the landscape. This beauty produces a profusion of showy and fragrant frilly flowers in a variety of colors ranging from shades of yellow, orange and red with petals resembling twisted ribbons. Oval shaped leaves to 6 inches long emerge light green with reddish-bronze tints in spring, maturing to a medium to dark green by summer, and finally to attractive golden-yellow with the arrival of cooler temperatures in fall. You can leave this one to grow naturally as a large shrub or remove lower branches to form an outstanding small specimen tree reaching 6 to 12 feet tall and wide at maturity. A superior and easy-to-grow winter-flowering shrub for the landscape.

Native Americans are known to have boiled twigs to create soothing medications for wounds, muscle soreness, insect bites, bruises, and burns. 

Growing 15 to 20 feet tall and equally as wide, American Witch hazel can be grown as a large shrub or small tree. As a shrub it is ideal for use as a specimen, in groupings, or as a natural tall hedge. As the shrub grows taller, lower branches can be removed to form a small evergreen tree that serves well as a colorful focal point specimen in landscape borders and home foundations. A fine addition to yellow theme gardens, native plant gardens, medicinal gardens and cottage gardens.

Suggested Spacing:  10 feet apart for solid hedge;  22 feet or more apart for space between plants

The Ozark Witch Hazel is very easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil of average or better fertility and full sun to part shade. It prefers a consistently moist acidic soil rich in organic matter but also grows well in clay soils provided the drainage is good. Little pruning is required but responds well to it for shaping purposes, size, or to tree form.

Plant and care for as you would Loropetalum shrubs.

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