Early March forty five minutes west of Boston, witch hazel brightens the late winter landscape. This year it’s adding its cheer in early March–other years it appears in February.Wherever possible I use this native in planting combinations as the first blooming shrub. The small newly planted rhodies in the background will grow to create a contrasting backdrop when seen from this angle. This variety witch hazel shrub works well pruned as a small tree maturing about 10′ tall and wide. The rounded almost tropical leaves add to the garden texture in summer and color in the fall. Upright with totally different flowers but the same bright yellow, my clients always call amazed that the forsythia I planted blooms so early! It’s not forsythia! Remember my January blog on snowflowers? It’s the hamamelis that was featured. Notice the buds formed in the fall as a unique winter display with or without snowflowers (the shapes formed by snow in nooks and crevices).
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