Hamamelis x intermedia
Hybrid Witchhazel
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Average mature size of 15-20' tall and wide. Habit is upright-spreading, or occasionally wide-spreading, and loosely-branched, if not pruned or shaped. medium growth rate.
Native Range
A hybrid of H. japonica x H. mollis; Europe, China, and North America. Many have originated in England, Germany & Belgium, but most of these hybrid plants have arisen from the Kalmthout Arboretum in Belgium.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flowers range in color from red to yellow, and from January to mid-March, depending on the cultivar. People long ago believed that witches had put a curse on this group of hazel-like-foliaged plants, causing them to bloom in the winter… thus the name. Fruits are dehiscent capsules, two-valved, splitting at maturity in the fall, and ejecting two black seeds. Not ornamental.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to obovate, 3-5" long, margins wavy, tip acute or acuminate, pubescent beneath, with a 1/4-1/2" pubescent petiole. Yellow to yellow-orange fall color. The red-flowering types may show more red fall coloration than the yellow-flowering types. Bark is smooth gray to gray-brown. The witchhazel ointment and liniment used to sooth sore muscles is made from the bark and roots of witchhazel plants.
Culture and Care
Prefers moist, acid, well-drained, organic soils in full sun to part shade. Zone 5-8. Avoid a low, wet, poorly-drained site. No serious disease or insect problems. Caterpillars and Japanese beetles, powdery mildew and leaf blights and leaf spots are occasional problems.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall & winter. Old leaves sometimes persist, interfering with the overall flower effect. "Hybrid Witchhazel" represents a group of plants, first described in 1945, hybrids of Japanese Witchhazel & Chinese Witchhazel, with intermediate traits of each. These plants are grown all over the world. The branches have been used for "water-witching".
Suggested Uses
Good for fragrant gardens, winter gardens, in group plantings, screens, unpruned hedges, shade gardens, or along a sidewalk.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise' // Arnold Promise Witchhazel
Shrub. Considered by witchhazel experts to be "the best yellow-flowering variety of witchhazel". Clear yellow flowers with a reddish calyx cup, very fragrant, 1" long, narrow strap-shaped petals that are curled & crimped. Blooms February-March. 12-20' tall & wide. Produces a heavy flower crop every year. Good powdery mildew resistance. Sometimes gets a leaf blight. Introduced in 1963 and named after the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Boston, MA. Best when grown from cuttings on its own roots, to prevent suckering and graft incompatibility. Good hedge plant. Has broad-oval leaves, to 6" long, w/ shallow, wavy, or barely-toothed margins, & 5-7 offset vein pairs. Yellow-orange to yellow fall color.
BS009163 - BS009164Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise (std)' // Arnold Promise Witchhazel - Tree form
Shrub. Gets 20' tall. Considered by witchhazel experts to be "the best yellow-flowering variety of witchhazel". Same as 'Arnold Promise' except this specimen has been grafted onto a single trunk (a standard), so as to appear like a small tree instead of a shrub. Blooms February-March. Clear yellow flowers with a reddish calyx cup, very fragrant, 1" long, narrow strap-shaped petals that are curled and crimped. Produces a heavy flower crop every year. Good powdery mildew resistance. Sometimes gets a leaf blight. Introduced in 1963 and named after the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Boston, MA. Has broad-oval leaves, to 6" long, w/ shallow, wavy, or barely-toothed margins, & 5-7 offset vein pairs. Yellow-orange to yellow fall color.
BS009122Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' // Diane Witchhazel
Shrub. A medium-large shrub, 8-12' tall & 10-15' wide. Spreading branches. One of the first red-flowering types, w/ coppery-red, shiny flowers, turning bronze w/ age and faintly fragrant, with each petal 3/5-4/5" long and 1/15" wide, with a purplish-red calyx. Witchhazel experts consider this to be one of the best varieties of all the red-flowering types. Good yellow, orange, maroon and red fall color. Old brown leaves persist into winter, interfering with the overall winter flowering effect and beauty. Ovate-orbicular, 3-6" leaves. Best when grown from cuttings on its own roots (prevents suckering & graft incompatibility). Moderate susceptibility to powdery mildew. Introduced in 1969 by the Kalmthout Arboretum in Belgium. Has also been called 'New Red'.
BS009162Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' // Jelena Witchhazel
Shrub. 8-13' tall & wide. Considered by witchhazel experts to be "the best orange-flowering variety of witchhazel". Claret-red/maroon calyx cup on the flower. The faintly-fragrant, warm, coppery-orange colored flowers glow like copper in the sun from a distance. Flower petals 1" long, 0.07" wide, twisted & kinked, red at base, orange in the middle, & yellow at tips. Blooms February-March. Named by Robert de Belder at the 1954 London Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show after his new bride, Jelena. Rich yellow/orange/red fall color. Best grown from cuttings on own roots, to prevent suckering and graft incompatibility. Received various awards for garden merit. Formerly known as 'Copper Beauty'. Leaves ovate-orbicular, upper half of margin crenate.
-- not currently in our collection --Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena (std)' // Jelena Witchhazel - Tree form
Shrub. Same as 'Jelena' except this specimen has been grafted up onto a single trunk (a standard), so as to appear like a small tree instead of a shrub. 10-15' tall & 8-13' wide. Considered to be "the best orange-flowering witchhazel". Flower has a claret-red/maroon calyx cup. The warm, coppery-orange colored flowers glow like copper in the sun from a distance. Flower petals are 1" long, 0.07" wide, twisted and kinked, red at the base, orange in the middle, and yellow at the tips. Blooms February-March. Rich yellow/orange/red fall color. Best grown from cuttings on own roots, to prevent suckering and graft incompatibility. Received various awards for garden merit. Leaves ovate-orbicular, upper half of margin crenate.
BS009123