Wikimedia Commons
Hamamelidaceae
Japanese Witch Hazel
Hamamelis japonica
Defiant bloom in the coldest season.
- Family
- Hamamelidaceae
- Genus
- Hamamelis
- Native to
- Japan
- Bloom season
- Winter, Late Winter
- Type
- deciduous shrub or small tree
- Height
- 3–5 m
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- moist, acidic, well-drained
- Water
- medium
- Hardiness
- 5–8
- Lifespan
- 50+ years
Did you know
- Japanese witch hazel is one of the earliest-blooming woody plants, often flowering in January while snow is on the ground.
- The spidery, ribbon-like petals curl up in extreme cold and unfurl again when temperatures rise, protecting the flower from frost damage.
- Its seed capsules explosively eject seeds up to 10 meters away with an audible pop.
- The hybrid H. x intermedia, a cross between Japanese and Chinese witch hazels, provides most garden cultivars.
- Japanese witch hazel extract is not used in commercial witch hazel products — those come from the American species H. virginiana.
Color meanings
Yellow
cheerful courage
Orange
warm defiance
Red
passionate perseverance