Plant pick

  • Wednesday, December 30, 2009 7:32pm
  • Life

WHAT: Chinese witch hazel is a garden classic. In late January and February it is a showcase for short, golden-yellow filamentlike flowers.

WHY PLANT IT: It is the most fragrant of all witch hazels and worth growing for that characteristic alone.

It is disease resistant and easy to grow.

Autumn color makes it a truly multiseasonal shrub. Its leaves turn butter yellow first, then orange and finish scarlet before they fall to the ground.

WHERE: Witch hazels thrive in well-drained, fertile, rich soil in full sun. They also grow well under the bright shade of tall trees or with a half day of sun and a half day of shade.

Provide regular water during summer dry spells, soaking deeply to encourage a deep and extensive root system.

HOW: Pair this plant, also known as hamamelis mollis, with red-stem dogwoods, picea omorika, stewartia pseudocamellia, Ken Janeck rhododendron, black mondo grass and hellebores for an incredible winter garden.

ACTUAL SIZE: Though smaller than some other varieties, this witch hazel reaches about 8 feet high by 8 feet wide in 10 years and up to 12-by-12 at maturity.

LEARN MORE: See www.greatplantpicks.org.

Source: Great Plant Picks

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