Plant of the Month for February
Witch Hazel

Hamamelis x intermedia

The selection for the month of February is Witch hazel, or Hamamelis, of which there is a collection planted in the Woodland Garden at Myerscough. Many of these were planted in memory of James Row who was a Horticulture student at the college in the mid-1990s

Hamamelis x intermedia is a spectacular winter flowering, highly fragrant shrub or small tree. It prefers to be planted in a sheltered, shady location and in a slightly acid soil, a pH of around 6.5 being ideal. The flowers begin around christmas time and last for many weeks. They are carried in clusters with each flower having four ribbon like petals and a small but striking centre, the clusters of petals giving a spidery look to the ascending and spreading, leafless branches.

Hamamelis x intermedia is a cross between two species – H. mollis (Chinese witch hazel) and H. japonica (Japanese witch hazel), producing a plant available in a number of colours by the selection of cultivars (variations that have arisen in the hybrids produced).

There are about 30 cultivars available which include:

• ‘Arnold Promise’ a striking form with large yellow flowers,
• ‘Diane’ with dark red flowers,
• ‘Feuerzauber’ (Magic Fire) with brilliant copper-orange flowers (left),
• ‘Jelena’ with large yellow flowers suffused copper red and looking almost orange,
• ‘Pallida’ with large sulphur yellow flowers (above right), and
• ‘Primavera’ with bright yellow petals tinged purplish red at the base (below)
  
  - all of which can be seen in the Woodland Garden.

These are truly garden worthy plants: they are easy to grow, require no significant pruning and provide interest throughout the whole year. It is well worth a walk through our Woodland Garden this month to see and smell the range of witch hazels interspersed with Mahonias (January’s Plant of the Month still in flower), Camellias starting into flower now, and Magnolias which will flower in spring.

Witch hazel is well known for its medicinal properties, derived from the bark and twigs of a North American species, H. virginiana, also to be found in the Woodland Garden but with smaller and much less showy yellow flowers in early winter. This plant is also reported to be a popular choice of water diviners – not something we have needed here in recent years!

Phil Rhodes, Lecturer in Horticulture