Witch hazel hybrids are deciduous shrubs in the Hamamelidaceae (witch hazel) family and are often cross between native and Asian plants. For example, Hamamelis x intermedia is the hybrid of H. japonica and H. mollis . These hybrid witch hazels can grow 12-20 feet tall and wide with multiple stems in an open form. The fragrant flowers are in various colors and appear in February to March for several weeks adding winter interest to the landscape. Most hybrids have fall colors in yellow to reds. Witch Hazels prefer moist acidic well-drained organically rich soils in full sun to part shade but are considered to be adaptable. They will tolerate clay soils if it is well-drained. Use as a hedge, shrub border, specimen or in the woodland garden. Prune this shrub in spring after it has bloomed and remove suckers as needed. Keep in mind that next years flowers will appear on old growth. Use as a hedge, in small groups or specimen in an Asian, cottage or winter garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Caterpillars and Japanese beetles can eat the leaves. Gall aphids, weevils, scale, leafroller and leafminer. Potential diseases include powdery mildew, occasional leaf spots and rots. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 12 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Multi-stemmed; Open; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Obovate; Orbicular; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Somewhat rounded, acuminate tip, a downy, gray-green in summer. Alternate, simple, 2-4" long, wedge-shaped, dark green above, pale green and pubescent below, ovate to obovate, 5-8 vein pairs, serrated on top half, base oblique. Fall color can be reds to yellow.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Fragrant; Long-lasting
Flower form
Cyme
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Flowers appear in clusters before leaf-out. They are spidery-looking with 4 strap-shaped petals that hang down in colors of red, orange and yellows. They appear in Feb. to March
Bloom time
Spring; Winter
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Four parted septum dehiscent capsules.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Bark is smooth and gray to gray-brown
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Stem detail
Slender, gray-brown, smooth, some reddish lenticels. Leaf bud is naked, looks like a small, folded leaf. Flower bud is stalked, clustered and round.