This week I wanted to feature one of my favorite winter bloomers, Hamamelis or Witch Hazel.  Deciduous shrubs to 8-12′ in the Pacific Northwest. These V-shaped shrubs are an attractive addition to garden borders in zones 4-9. It provides color in the middle of winter when everything else is drab.

These spider-like flowers appear in mid-February and continue for a couple of weeks.  This is H. x intermedia ‘Arnold’s Promise’

Here H. x intermedia ‘Helena’ is a bronzy-orange addition to the garden.

And H. x intermedia ‘Diane’ is this beautiful red-orange. This should be placed toward the front of a planting border or a as a feature since this color will get lost at the back of a border.

Hamamelis has a long history as a medicinal plant. Tinctures made from the leaves and bark relieve bruising and swelling when applied.