ozark witch hazel
Hamamelis vernalis
MBG Plant of Merit 2003
USDA zones4 to 8
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size6 to 10 feet tall8 to 15 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom season
- Spring, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow with red inner calyx
- Foliage color
- Brown/copper, gold/yellow, green, purple/lavender
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Ozark witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) is a shrub for borders, specimen planting, winter interest, and rain gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and average to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Its yellow flowers with a red inner calyx open before anything else blooms, and the petals roll up on the coldest days. It spreads by suckers and can form large colonies, so give it room. It sits low on the menu for deer.
Pairs well with Inkberry, Cinnamon fern, Swamp milkweed, and Switchgrass.
Native range
Southern and central United States.