Planting a Border of Witch Hazel
As a serious and passionate gardener, I am always looking for ways to add more beauty and texture to all my garden beds.
Last week, my gardeners Ryan and Gavin planted a selection of young witch hazel shrubs along one side of my Bedford, New York farm. I already have several witch hazel varieties growing in this area, and they always look so pretty when in bloom. Witch hazel is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae and is closely related to the sweet gum. Most species flower from January to March and if given enough room to spread and grow, they will display a beautiful and fragrant border of spidery blooms when everything else is still winter gray.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Every year, I order thousands of whips, or slender unbranched seedlings, that I can nurture in pots before planting around the farm. Here behind my stable, among lots of different types of trees and shrubs, I have a collection of witch hazels that are ready to go into the ground.
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- I decided to plant the witch hazels along one side of my farm, which I call my Daffodil Border because of the thousands and thousands of daffodils that bloom here in spring. I already have a few planted at one end, so I know they will thrive once they are established.
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- Ryan carefully places the witch hazels where they will be planted. When selecting locations for any plant, always consider the plant’s growth pattern, space needs, and appearance. This is always a good idea before digging the holes, so they can be placed where they look best. Witch hazels need to be about 10 to 12 feet apart. They also need well-drained, moist, and slightly acidic soil.
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- This photo was taken last February when the witch hazels were in bloom. Witch hazel grows as small trees or shrubs in one of six basic shapes – upright, vase-shaped, oval or rounded, spreading, horizontal or weeping.
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- These plants perform best in full sun, or filtered shade in hotter regions. They prefer well-amended soil and regular water and are tolerant of acid or alkaline conditions. Hamamelis mollis, or Chinese witch hazel, is the most fragrant of all the species. Chinese witch hazel begins blooming as early as January and has buttery yellow petals and clear yellow fall foliage.
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- Japanese witch hazel, Hamamelis japonica, has showy yellow or red flowers. The flowers are able to curl inward to protect the inner structures from freezing during the winter. The spider-like flowers are small, but noticeable since they cover the shrub.
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- This is Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Feuerzauber’. Witch hazel works well as a natural remedy because it contains tannins, which when applied to the skin, can help decrease swelling and fight bacteria.
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- More than two dozen witch hazels were carefully placed along the entire bed – now it is time to start planting.
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- Gavin starts by digging the hole. Witch hazels have shallow, slow-growing root systems, which do best in large planting areas to ensure normal growth and development. Fortunately, I have a lot of room to grow these pretty shrubs. I also have many, many daffodil bulbs here, so Gavin is very careful when digging. Most of the bulbs will be much deeper in the soil and will be left undisturbed.
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- Always use a good fertilizer made especially for new trees and shrubs. We use M-Roots with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
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- It’s a good idea to plant witch hazels before the expected first frost. Although today is the first full day of fall, we’re expecting temperatures to rise to the high 80s here in the New York City area.
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- Next, Gavin carefully loosens the root ball to stimulate new growth and promote good aeration.
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- Gavin places it in the hole, making sure it is well-positioned and straight.
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- Witch hazels are exceptionally hardy and adaptable shrubs and require little care or maintenance once established. Here, Gavin sprinkles a generous amount of fertilizer.
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- Whenever planting, always make a hole twice the size of the plant’s root ball. A plant’s roots grow out more easily into loosened, enriched soil.
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- The leaves are alternate, simple, broadly ovate, two to six inches long, with large wavy teeth on the margins and with the upper surface dark green and the lower surface a paler green.
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- The fall witch hazel foliage is also an attractive yellow-orange. This leaf is already beginning to turn. These leaves are an important food source for native insects and many native birds and animals eat the seeds that follow the flowers in the winter.
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- Lastly, Gavin tamps down the soil surrounding the plant after it is in the ground – this ensures good contact between the soil and the plant itself.
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- It won’t take too long to get them all planted. Unfortunately, deer also eat witch hazel, but because my farm is completely fenced, these specimens will be safe – I know they will thrive in this area.
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- These young witch hazels will develop so nicely – I look forward to seeing their beautiful and slightly fragrant curled flowers. What are your favorite witch hazels? Share your comments with me below.
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