JOHNSTON COUNTY HOME HORTICULTURE
by Kelley Schroedl
Johnston County Master Gardener Volunteer
My affections change with the seasons. It is now the witch hazel’s time of year to be my favorite. I delight in the anticipation of its blossoming. Starting in November, it teases by infrequently sprinkling a few yellow florets along its branches. Despite visiting the shrub daily to check the swelling buds, the witch hazel surprises me when it fully flushes with flowers on a cold day in January or February.
It is the witch hazel’s habit of blooming at odd times of the year that makes it so enchanting. In the middle of our winter, it is often the only sizeable plant putting on a big floral show. Had I known more in my early gardening days, the witch hazel’s sweet fragrance could have been as eagerly awaited. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until years after planting my ‘Pallida’ that I realized witch hazels are one of the shrubs best purchased in blossom, giving the nose a chance to determine the strength of perfume.
Despite my own witch hazel’s lack of scent, it is a treasure. Its large vase shape blocks the view of my neighbor’s compost bin while allowing me room underneath to plant hellebores, spring-flowering bulbs, swamp sunflowers, and bog salvias. In summer it quietly provides a nice backdrop for colorful bloomers. In fall, as flowering perennials decline, the witch hazel’s leaves turn a splendid bright yellow.
Planted in the roots and shade of a towering tulip tree and alongside a drainage easement, the witch hazel thrives with few problems. Some springs, I must pull off a few leaves afflicted with galls. In times of drought the witch hazel does require watering to prevent damage. My witch hazel did fine during the previous dry years with supplemental water every two weeks. The water and plucking seem small tasks in return for all that the witch hazel contributes.
To learn more about witch hazels, check out the excellent article in the November/December issue of The American Gardener, Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants or the following websites:
http://www.ahs.org/publications/the_american_gardener/0311/excerpt.htm
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Horticulture/whazel.html
http://www.unctv.org/inthegarden/potweek17.html
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