Vernal witch hazel is a particularly valuable shrub because it provides flowers at a time when very little else is blooming, being one of the very first pollen sources for pollinators. Its small, fragrant flowers appear along the bare branches in late winter or very early spring, with narrow ribbon-like petals ranging from yellow to orange-red. The flowers can be surprisingly showy against the winter landscape, and the shrub develops attractive green foliage after flowering. In autumn the leaves can turn yellow to orange-red before dropping. It is a tough native shrub that can handle both sun and partial shade, although flowering is best with more sun. It prefers consistent moisture but can tolerate a range of soils, and it can sucker and gradually form a colony if allowed to spread.
Width: 8–15 feet
Flower time: February–March
Sun/Shade: Full sun to partial shade; flowers best in full sun
Deer resistant
Rabbit resistant
Vernal witch hazel is a particularly valuable shrub because it provides flowers at a time when very little else is blooming, being one of the very first pollen sources for pollinators. Its small, fragrant flowers appear along the bare branches in late winter or very early spring, with narrow ribbon-like petals ranging from yellow to orange-red. The flowers can be surprisingly showy against the winter landscape, and the shrub develops attractive green foliage after flowering. In autumn the leaves can turn yellow to orange-red before dropping. It is a tough native shrub that can handle both sun and partial shade, although flowering is best with more sun. It prefers consistent moisture but can tolerate a range of soils, and it can sucker and gradually form a colony if allowed to spread.
Width: 8–15 feet
Flower time: February–March
Sun/Shade: Full sun to partial shade; flowers best in full sun
Deer resistant
Rabbit resistant
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