Brick red flowers with some burnt-orange shadings appear in midseason on a vigorous plant. The spicy scented flowers are rather large and are nicely curled and crimped. Z. 5b-8

'Angelly' produces clear light yellow flowers late in the Witch Hazel season (February/March), and in fall the leaves turn yellow. It forms a shapely, upright shrub, different from most Witch Hazels, which are more wide spreading. A relatively new introduction from the Netherlands, where it snared a gold medal in the 1980's. Z. 5b-8

Absolutely stunning burnt-orange flowers appear in February—a real color breakthrough in Witch Hazels. The plant is also quite vigorous, so there'll be plenty of flowers to enjoy. Excellent fragrance, too. Z. 5b-8

Butter-yellow flowers with excellent fragrance are borne in great profusion in mid-February. This neat vase-shaped plant is a particularly reliable performer, blooming well even after the coldest winters. By mid-February masses of fleecy golden flowers open in such abundance as to obscure the branches—a sure cure for winter doldrums. An Arnold Arboretum release. Z. 5b-8

Chris Lane reports that 'Aurora' has the largest flowers yet seen on a Witch Hazel, and they are fine flowers indeed! Elegant and slender, they are deep yellow with burgundy shadings at the base, and they carry a sweet scent. Midseason flowering. Z. 5b-8

Rich golden yellow flowers, stained red at the base, appear in great numbers in late January and through February. The flowers are enhanced by a sweet perfume, and this introduction from Germany grows vigorously upright. Z. 5b-8

In German 'Bernstein' means "amber," and that's the effect created by the glowing flowers of this new selection. The petals are actually gold flushed with red at the base, and it's from a distance that the amber effect is perceived. Flowers are quite large and open mid through late winter. Scentless. A vigorous upright-growing shrub. Z. 5b-8

The dark red flowers are smaller than some others and have only a light scent, but they are currently considered to be the reddest flowers yet developed on any Witch Hazel. 'Birgit' also has an exceptional form, even when young, mimicking its mature look. Z. 5b-8

Selected by Witch Hazel specialist Chris Lane at de Belder's Arboretum in Belgium, 'Copper Cascade' has yellow-orange petals that are red at the base; the overall effect is coppery red, and the petals are also curled and crimped. 'Copper Cascade' has a curious spreading and mushroom-shaped growth habit and is slow growing to about 7 feet high and twice as wide. Z. 5b-8

Nicely scented, 'Cyrille' has straw-yellow flowers with a hint of red. Ultimate size about 9 feet high and wide. Z. 5b-8

Dark red flowers become a paler red towards the tips of the petals and emit a spicy scent. 'Danny' grows broadly vase shaped to 10 feet high and wide. In fall the foliage often turns orange red. Z. 5b-8

Distinctive orange-red flowers, shading to ruby red, appear in early February. 'Diane' also shows a particularly fine red fall color. PHS Gold Medal. Z. 5b-8

One of the earliest Hybrid Witch Hazels to bloom in winter, 'Early Bird' produces bright yellow, scentless petals which unfurl on mild winter days. Fall foliage is yellow with touches of maroon, and the plant grows 10 feet high and 7 feet wide. Z. 5b-8

A new and unique color in Witch Hazels: crushed strawberry! Petals are light red at the base and coppery red at the tips, thus the crushed strawberry effect. Nicely fragrant, too. A vigorous, upright-growing shrub. Z. 5b-8

A de Belder selection from the mid-1990's, 'Gingerbread' has scented, dark orange flowers in late winter, and the medium to dark green foliage flushes out purple in spring. Z. 5b-8

In winter warm up your garden with the burnt yellow flowers of 'Glowing Embers', which are lightly fragrant. Grows about 8 feet high by 12 feet wide. Originated in a Japanese nursery. Z. 5b-8

Light orange flowers with a faint scent are borne in exceptional abundance on a compact growing plant. Z. 5b-8

Straw-yellow flowers, the base suffused with red, make their appearance in midwinter. Rich color, abundant bloom, and a light scent are the special features of this German selection. Heinrich Bruns was a Witch Hazel breeder in Westerstede, Germany, active until the 1980's. Z. 5b-8

Wonderful coppery flowers begin appearing in late January, and from afar 'Jelena's fiery glow illuminates the winter landscape. A fine selection with especially good orange-red fall color. This older introduction is still pretty hard to beat and is one of our favorites. Z. 5b-8

A selection made in Germany, 'Old Copper' blooms profusely, albeit without scent, producing flowers that are a dark burnished coppery red. In autumn the foliage turns a buttery yellow. 'Old Copper' grows 9 feet high and 7 feet wide. Z. 5b-8

Those of us who grow Witch Hazels often admire their attractive foliage, and here's a selection introduced specifically because of its foliage. In spring leaves emerge green with red shadings, and new leaves of 'Orange Encore' emerge with this maroon-red coloration all through the season before finally turning crimson in fall. Small yellow flowers open late in the season, often with the first leaves. Z. 5b-8

Midwinter flowers sport thick petals: Richly colored bright orange and yellow blend with a darker base, and lightly scented. Looks as though you've just been using your citrus zester on an orange! Certainly one of the most distinctive of the new Witch Hazels. Z. 5b-8

Refined pale lemon flowers with hints of chartreuse distinguish this Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal winter. 'Pallida' is a spreading shrub producing an elegant display in midseason, and it is often listed as a cultivar of H. mollis as the leaves have the softness characteristic of that species. Sweetly fragrant, too. Z. 5b-8

A very floriferous selection with fragrant canary-yellow flowers in late January. This is also one of the most vigorous of the hybrid Witch Hazels. Z. 5b-8

Flowers can bloom as early as December, and they continue off and on all through winter, into February, as weather permits. Flowers are coppery orange and they carry a strong and spicy scent. Formerly believed to be a selection of H. mollis, it has now been determined to be a hybrid. Z. 6-8

Clear red flowers with a light scent appear in abundance in midwinter and later on a shapely, well-branched plant. This German selection has received awards in Dutch trials for its reliable performance and pleasing habit of growth. Z. 5b-8

'Sarah' has rich, medium yellow flowers, lightly flushed red. This later bloomer is also enhanced by a fine fragrance. Z. 5b-8

A unique color among Witch Hazel flowers, the petals of 'Spanish Spider' bloom Spanish orange according to the RHS Colour Chart, which is a saffron color, and the long thin petals resemble spider legs. On mild winter days there is a pleasant fragrance, but the flower color alone should recommend it to your garden. A vigorous grower to 13 feet tall by 9 feet wide. Z. 5b-8

On Witch Hazel flowers we often see color gradations but rarely as striking as on this yellow and red bicolor! Flowers appear in good numbers from mid to late winter, and they are enhanced by a light scent. A rounded, shapely shrub. Z. 5b-8

Somewhat of a chameleon, 'Twilight' has bicolored petals in yellow and crimson, but as the plant ages, the flowers will become more crimson than yellow. Grows vigorously to 12 feet high and wide. Z. 5b-8

Selected for somewhat later flowering than other Witch Hazels, 'Canary Yellow' can probably be expected to flower in February. Spreading and vase shaped, it may reach 8 feet with a 9-foot spread. Z. 5-8

This Japanese selection draws attention with its flowers which are the largest yet seen on a Chinese Witch Hazel! The flowers, which appear from early to midwinter, are pale yellow with red tints at the base, and there is a strong, sweet scent typical of Chinese Witch Hazel. We have noticed that flowering is not profuse until the plant gains some maturity. Z. 6-8

We've grown Hamamelis mollis in our garden for years, and it never fails to enchant when golden yellow flowers with excellent fragrance start appearing around Christmas. Flowering continues until early March, one of the longest seasons of any Witch Hazel. 'Wisley Supreme' is a particularly fine selection with large flowers, and it hails from the Royal Horticulture Society's Wisley Gardens. Chris Lane speculates that it may well have been raised from seed collected in China in the early 20th century by legendary plant explorer E.H. Wilson. Z. 6-8

If you want flowers in winter but live in an area too cold to grow the hybrid Witch Hazels, this is the species to consider. The Ozark Witch Hazel proved completely hardy in tests at the University of Maine at Orono (Zone 4). The flowers are not as large as those on the hybrids, but they are intensely fragrant. This selection from central Illinois has golden yellow flowers which regularly open by Christmas in that location. We have found that a few flowers are likely to start opening even in November. Z. 4-8

Flowers on this introduction from Ohio are small, but they are dark purple, an unusual color in Witch Hazels, and are enhanced by a spicy fragrance. Fine fall color in shades of crimson and orange. Z. 4-8

We're often asked for low-growing Witch Hazels, but up to now there haven't been any. Enter 'Quasimodo'. Rounded and compact, this selection of the extra hardy Ozark Witch Hazel grows about 3 feet high and wide! And wait till you get a load of the spicy orange flowers in winter—a treat all around! Rumors to the contrary notwithstanding, this plant was not found hanging around Notre-Dame. Z. 4-8
Handsome bushy plants.

This Witch Hazel, native to much of the East, has its own delightfully idiosyncratic season of bloom: Perfumed yellow flowers open in October and November just as the leaves are ready to fall, imparting an unexpected fragrance to late autumn days. Forming a big shrub which can be trained to a small tree, it deserves a spot in any large garden. The "Witch Hazel" found in drug stores is an astringent distilled from this plant. Z. 3-8

While flowers have more yellow (and therefore a little less red) than H. v. 'Mohonk Red', this Rhode Island selection merits attention because of its bushy habit of growth and its somewhat smaller size, remaining below 10 feet for many years. The scented flowers appear in mid-autumn, and they are colored yellow at the tips, shading to light red at the base. Z. 3-8

A new selection from Tennessee with yellow/green variegated leaves. Like the species in other respects. Z. 3-8

We have Harald Neubauer of Tennessee to thank for this semidwarf selection of the Eastern Witch Hazel. Scented yellow flowers bloom in mid to late autumn on a compact shrub 4-5 feet high and wide. In fall the leaves turn yellow. It's sometimes difficult to find space for the Eastern Witch Hazel, which can grow to a lusty size, but 'Little Suzie' solves that dilemma in a fragrant and colorful way. Z. 3-8

Here it is, folks, a red-flowered Eastern Witch Hazel! Not the dark red seen on some hybrids, but a fine light red which shades to yellow at the tips of the petals. Flowers have a nice fragrance and open in mid-autumn along with the species. In his new book on Witch Hazels, Chris Lane writes that there have been off-and-on sightings of red-flowered Eastern Witch Hazels for over a century. This selection from the Mohonk Nature Preserve in New York State is probably the reddest one found so far. Z. 3-8