There are five different types of witch hazel. Two of these species come from Asia, the other three from northern America. Many hybrids of Japanese and Chinese witch hazel are available commercially.
What types of witch hazel are there?
There are different varieties of witch hazel, such as Hamamelis virginiana, Hamamelis mollis, Hamamelis japonica, Hamamelis vernalis, “Pallida”, “Diane”, “Jelena” and “Primavera”. These differ in flower color, flowering time and requirements for location and soil.
Do all varieties of witch hazel bloom at the same time?
The flowering period of the individual species and varieties of witch hazel varies from October to March. However, most of them bloom in winter. The color spectrum of the flowers ranges from a delicate yellow to golden yellow and orange to a strong shade of red. Some varieties also impress with their interesting foliage coloring in autumn or a delicate floral scent. So there is something for every taste.
The most important things about caring for witch hazel
Caring for witch hazel is basically the same for all varieties. They require a relatively low-lime, well-drained and nutrient-rich soil and generally prefer transplanting that is as sunny as possible and with maximum partial shade.
Water your witch hazel in summer as soon as it doesn't rain for a long time. If its roots dry out too much, it won't bloom as lushly as you would like. But be sure to avoid waterlogging as a result of your watering. The witch hazel also reacts very sensitively to this.
Interesting varieties of witch hazel:
- Hamamelis virginiana (Virginian witch hazel): medicinal plant, blooms in soft yellow from October
- Hamamelis mollis (candlemas or Chinese witch hazel): delicately fragrant golden yellow flowers, flowering period February to March
- Hamamelis japonica (Japanese witch hazel): strong yellow flowers from January to February, slightly more sensitive to frost than other varieties, bright red autumn leaves
- Hamamelis vernalis (spring witch hazel): orange-yellow short-petalled flowers, blooms from January to February
- “Pallida”: intensely fragrant, large, sulfur yellow flowers, blooms at Christmas time
- “Diane”: red flowers, blooms in February
- “Jelena”: orange-red flowers with light tips, interesting autumn color in scarlet
- “Primavera”: medium-sized golden yellow, slightly ruffled flowers, blooming early
Tip
When choosing your witch hazel, let your taste guide you, but also take into account the plants' different requirements for location and soil.
