Leaf
Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hybrid witch hazel
Hamamelis × intermedia hort. ex Rehder
Also known as: Witch hazel
Family: Hamamelidaceae
2 to 4 m tall
Shrub planted as a specimen or in beds, highly sought after for its scented winter flowering.
Flowering: January – March
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
It flowers in the depths of winter, sometimes under snow, with thin, crumpled petals able to curl up to protect themselves from frost and then unfurl as soon as the temperature rises.
🍃 Leaves
Deciduous, alternate, oval, with prominent venation, turning beautiful yellow-orange shades in autumn
🌸 Flowers
Small, with narrow, crumpled ribbon-like petals, yellow, orange or red depending on the cultivar, highly scented, appearing on bare wood in midwinter
🍎 Fruits
Small woody capsule which, as it dries, flings its seeds several metres
🪵 Bark
Grey-brown, smooth
🗺️ Distribution
Horticultural hybrid between Hamamelis japonica and Hamamelis mollis, raised in cultivation and widely distributed in Europe
🐝 Value for pollinators
Winter flowering that attracts the few insects active at this season
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted as a specimen for winter interest or in shrub beds, appreciated for its scented flowers in the depths of the cold season
🌿 Other Hamamelidaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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