Chinese witch hazel
Hamamelis mollis
USDA zones5 to 8
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size10 to 15 feet tall10 to 15 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Erect
- Bloom season
- Spring, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow with reddish-brown calyx cups
- Foliage color
- Green, orange
- Fall color
- Yes
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) is a shrub for borders, specimen planting, and winter interest. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full or part sun and average to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Its fragrant yellow flowers have reddish-brown calyx cups and attract birds, and the green leaves turn orange in fall. Deer tend to pass it by.
Pairs well with Japanese holly, Autumn fern, and Karl Foerster feather reed grass.
Native range
Western and west-central China.