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Kathy’s Garden Writing |
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BEWITCHED Here’s a quiz: What shrub is the last to flower in autumn and the first to flower in late winter? Hint: Check out the title. Witch hazel, of course! The native witch hazel, found in woods east of the Rockies, blooms in buttery-yellow filaments between October and December. And its Asian relative unfurls gold, copper, or red floral rays sometime between January and March. Hamamelis virginiana is the fall bloomer, christened witch (or wych) hazel by English colonists. The tall shrub reminded these wayfarers of their homeland’s hazelnut bush, whose flexible branches were used for water dowsing or witching (in Old English “wychi” means pliant) – thus witch hazel. Our most common association is the astringent properties derived from a brew of twigs and leaves, distilled and mixed with alcohol. Divining rods and tinctures aside, this native offers other sorts of magic. Its genus name, Hamamelis, means “fruit and flowers together,” a rare occurrence in botany, the fruit from the previous year ripening with the current year’s flowers. Rare too are the exploding seed pods, dispersing progeny up to thirty feet, and surprising flower arrangers and woodland ramblers with a loud pop. But if you really want a “bewitched” experience, check out the Asian cultivars, blooming in late winter. With larger, brighter, and often more heavily scented flowers than the native species, these imports burst into bloom during some of the most desolate weeks of the year. Add in vibrant fall foliage, winter fruit for the birds, and these plants are winners! There are several outstanding varieties of Asian witch hazels. If you can have only one, the Chinese Hamamelis mollis is for you, with the largest and most fragrant flowers. Other striking choices are ‘Pallida,’ a particularly early bloomer; ‘Diane’ with coppery red flowers; and ‘Jelena,’ distinguished by burnt orange flowers and fiery fall foliage. Now one unfortunate caveat. Witch hazels, native or Asian, are hard to find in garden centers. Nurserymen blame consumers for this state of affairs. Americans are notorious impulse shoppers and don’t tend to buy something when not in bloom (and who shops at outdoor nurseries in late fall and winter?). Thus a catalogue purchase may be your best option. Check out rarefindnursery.com, fairweathergardens.com, or brokenarrownursery.com for some stunning choices. If you’d like to see a live specimen before making a commitment, take a look at the Country Cultivator’s garden at the Benton Community Center. There you’ll find a red-blooming Asian variety (species unknown), bewitching all who pass by during what is otherwise known as mud season in Northeast Pennsylvania. And so witch hazel, blooming as the first snow flies, or when spring is still a distant promise, offers charms that the flowering shrubs of spring and summer can’t begin to capture. Perhaps its alternative moniker, “winterbloom,” is more fitting for those of us who no longer rely on divining rods and homemade tinctures. Whatever it’s called, it brings magic to the fall and winter landscape. Kathleen Arcuri The Benton News – February 1, 2009 |