At Home in the Snow
Posted in Around the Garden on March 24 2015, by Deanna Curtis
Deanna F. Curtis is Curator of Woody Plants at The New York Botanical Garden where she develops, documents, and helps manage the historic hardy tree and shrub collections.
Friday may have been the first day of spring, but as I watched the snow cover the plants, it certainly felt like winter. I know that everyone is anxiously waiting for spring to arrive, but there is something quite perfect about witch-hazel blooms dusted with snow that demands appreciation. The Azalea Garden is full of these bright spidery flowers right now. They are not some anomaly attributed to our changing weather patterns. This is their time. When it is still gray and the threat of snow still looms large, you can count on their light and warmth in the garden.
Witch-hazels have a range of flowering times depending on species and cultivar. The American witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, flowers in autumn. Vernal witch-hazel or Ozark witch-hazel, Hamamelis vernalis, is also native to North American and often blooms in winter months despite its name. However, this species typically has small flowers and a strong tendency to hold on to its leaves all winter long, obscuring its fragrant flowers. Look for cultivars that were selected for their early leaf drop. The Chinese witch-hazel, Hamamelis mollis, and the Japanese witch-hazel, Hamamelis japonica, flower in late winter. These species are prized for their large and fragrant flowers, as well as their perfect timing – just when we need them the most! The majority of selections available today are cultivars of the hybrid between these two Asian species, Hamamelis × intermedia.
Selections for flower color, timing, size, and fragrance have resulted in a wonderful variety of truly spectacular cultivars of available to the home gardener today. The New York Botanical Garden’s diverse collection is concentrated within the Azalea Garden and along the shrubby border outside the Home Gardening Center. A few specimens have been in flower since late January and early February. Witch-hazel flowers can handle the weather fluctuations of late winter. They slowly unfurl and end up lasting quite a long time from start to finish.
So before spring truly hits us with it riot of pastels. Take a stroll through the Azalea Garden and enjoy these tough blooms in their unique shades of citron yellows, warm golds, pumpkin oranges, fiery reds, and even the rare deep pinks or purples. This is their time and their show is in full swing!
