Hamamelis mollis
Chinese witch hazel
Common names: Witch hazel
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Pruning
- Mar–Apr
- Flowering
- Jan–Feb
Photo: Kurt Stüber [1] · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
The Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) is a deciduous shrub that provides early color in the garden season. From January to February, often before leaf emergence, fine, yellow thread‑like flowers open directly on bare branches, emitting a delicate, sweet fragrance. In autumn the shrub again displays warm yellow to orange foliage before the leaves fall. The species is native to China and is now a popular winter‑blooming plant for front gardens and hedges.
Care instructions
Plant the witch hazel in a semi‑shaded to sunny location on loose, humus‑rich, slightly acidic soil. Water regularly during the first few years after planting, as the plant dislikes both waterlogging and drought. Pruning is rarely necessary; after spring flowering remove only dead or crossing branches. A mulch layer of leaf litter or bark humus keeps the root zone moist and protects against frost. Choose the site carefully, as the plant tolerates transplanting poorly once mature.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJan–Feb
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, moist
Chinese witch hazel likes a loose, humus-rich soil that retains moisture but allows no waterlogging. It feels most at home on slightly acidic to weakly neutral soil; it tolerates strongly chalky soils poorly. When planting, work in plenty of compost or leaf mould, which benefits root development.
Feeding
Light feeder
As an undemanding wild shrub, Chinese witch hazel needs hardly any extra feeding. A mulch layer of leaf compost in spring is usually quite enough to supply it with nutrients. On lean soils you can spread some well-rotted compost around the root zone in early spring.
Pruning
Chinese witch hazel needs no regular pruning and looks most beautiful in its natural, spreading form. After flowering in spring, cut only what is necessary: dead, diseased or crossing branches. Pruning too hard often costs you the flowers the next winter, so thin out with restraint.
Overwintering
Chinese witch hazel is hardy in our latitudes and needs no special protection. Young plants appreciate a mulch layer over the root zone in the first winters, which protects the fine roots from frost damage. Its striking winter flowers, often from January, make it a valuable splash of colour in the cold season.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Layering
- Grafting
The simplest method for hobby gardeners is layering: in spring, a young, flexible shoot is nicked and pressed into a hole in the ground until it has formed its own roots after one to two years. Cuttings of this year's shoots can be taken in summer, but root only with patience and high humidity. Cultivars are usually grafted onto a rootstock, which secures the typical flower colour and habit of the mother plant.
For your garden
Grow Chinese witch hazel yourself
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