Hamamelis intermedia Seeds | Witch Hazel
LATIN NAME: Hamamelis intermedia
COMMON NAME: Witch Hazel
Plant Profile
Hamamelis intermedia, better known as Witch Hazel, is a handsome, upright, spreading, deciduous shrub. It is a species of flowering shrub in witch hazel family, and it is garden hybrid of the eastern Asian species, while it is grown as a treasured ornamental shrub, and it is known as witch hazel. In witch hazel family it is winter-flowering member of a small and ancient clan, shrub that refuses to wait for the spring. Given room and time, it reaches roughly Four metres. For the gardener, the sum of these traits is a plant that is easy to live with.
Science & Biotechnology
Research touching on Hamamelis intermedia ranges from the botany of the Hamamelis group to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. Witch hazel carries a recognised place in study of early-flowering shrubs, and timing of its ribbon-like, fragrant flowers has kept phenologists busy for years. With present-day seed handling, raising this species well within the reach of any careful grower.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Witch Hazel for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In winter garden, witch hazel is bright surprise of coldest weeks. Its spidery, ribbon-like, yellow or orange flowers are an early source of nectar for few insects of late winter, and its broad, leafy growth gives border a calm, generous structure through rest of the year. Leaves and bark have served traditional preparations of many lands, and garden forms have made shrub a treasured feature of winter border. Mature plants need little attention in a well-chosen position.
Witch hazel bark and leaf yield the world’s classic astringent distillate, used for generations on skin irritations, bruises and veins; it remains official in pharmacopoeias, and the winter flowers are garden gold.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Witch Hazel under ordinary good conditions. Use a fine, free-draining seed compost, scatter the seed evenly, cover it lightly and hold it just moist in good light. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Reaching four metres, it needs room to show its full form. Given the right start, Witch Hazel is a long-term garden companion. In a sunny, freely drained position it needs little looking after.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Witch Hazel often pair it with these related subjects: