Witchazel flowers

How to grow witch hazel

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Tuesday, 26 February 2019 at 10:42 am

Find out all you need to know about growing witch hazel (Hamamelis), in our practical Grow Guide.

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Witch hazels, Hamamelis, are popular plants for the winter garden. Forming large shrubs or small trees, they come into their own in late winter and early spring, when scented, flame-coloured, ribbon-like flowers appear on bare branches. Some cultivars also have good autumn leaf colour, and their stems are lovely to bring indoors for a cut flower display. Although they have a reputation for being tricky to grow, if you get the soil conditions right, they can thrive.

Browse our practical guide to growing witch hazel, below.

Where to plant witch hazel

Witch hazels planted in a lawn

Witch hazels planted in a lawn, Hilliers

Witch hazels need good drainage. Choose a spot in full sun or partial shade and make sure the soil is well-drained. Although the advice is that witch hazels do best in a slightly acidic soil, they don't need fully ericaceous compost and can cope with neutral soil, as long as you add plenty of organic matter.

How to plant witch hazels

Plant witch hazels as you would other shrubs:

Propagating witch hazels

Witch hazels are not easy to propagate, but if you want a challenge, the formal method is to take softwood cuttings in spring. Then, try to root them in free draining compost in a heated propagator.

How to take softwood cuttings from shrubs

Hamamelis: problem solving

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Westerstede', witch hazel. Jason Ingram

Witch hazel flowers, Hilliers

Witch hazels are reliably pest and disease-free.

Looking after witch hazels

Witch hazels are quite easy to care for once established. They need watering during dry spells, and a sprinkling of fertiliser or a mulch of well-rotted compost or manure each spring. Unless you want to restrict the size or improve the shape of your shrub, witch hazels don't need pruning other than removing crossing or diseased branches in early spring. Remove suckering shoots from the rootstock of grafted plants.

Witch hazel varieties to try

Hamamelis x Intermedia 'Aphrodite' Hilliers

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Aphrodite' Hilliers

Hamamelis mollis ‘Goldcrest’ – this Chinese Witch hazel has large, sweetly scented, golden yellow flowers, tinged with maroon
Hamamelis x intermedia – a cross between Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) and Japanese witch hazel (Hamamelis japonica), Hamamelis ‘Savill Starlight’ has yellow flowers in late winter, and good autumn leaf colour
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Westerstede’ – the flowers are yellow and slightly scented and the oval green leaves fade to yellow in autumn
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’ – with bright golden flowers that curl up a little more than other varieties
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ – a popular choice, this is a red-flowering cultivar. It also has good fiery autumn leaf colour. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it the prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM)
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Strawberries and Cream’ – this has flowers with yellow tips which deepen to a pinky-red towards the base
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Aphrodite’ – with orange-red, sweetly-scented flowers and red autumn leaf colour
Hamamelis mollis ‘Brevipetala’ – the deep yellow flowers, which become red at the base are preceded by yellow-orange autumn leaves

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