Winter Enchantment: 9 Best Witch Hazels for a Luminous Garden - Gardenista

Winter Enchantment: 9 Best Witch Hazels for a Luminous Garden - Gardenista
Witch hazels are not shrubs to buy on impulse; they are expensive and their positioning needs to be just right.
Photography by Britt Willoughby Dyer for Gardenista.
Hamamelis mollis ‘Fred Chittenden’
Highly perfumed Chinese witch hazel Hamamelis mollis. A witch hazel, or collection of witch hazels, will provide protection and a framework in summer, without being spectacular in any way.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Barmstedt Gold’
‘Barmstedt Gold’ witch hazel. They are edge-of-woodland plants; in other words they respond to dappled shade and sunshine.
Witch hazels in an orange and yellow group, including Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Robert’. This is where careful consideration is helpful: ‘Robert’ and the darker varieties need to be grown near a path so they can be seen and smelled.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Robert’
Witch hazel, Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Robert’.
One of the best reds, Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’
Highly regarded ‘Livia’. Striking autumn leaves are followed by well-scented carmine flowers.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Livia’
The color of a Sea Breeze cocktail, Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Hiltingbury’. If you decide on a more subtle, cranberry-and-grapefruit juice palette such as ‘Hiltingbury’, shown, note that the foliage in autumn is anything but.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Hiltingbury’
Classic golden witch hazel, H. x intermedia ‘Harry’.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Harry’
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Rubin’
A rare red, Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Rubin’.
Witch hazel ‘Sunburst’ is well named, with large radiant flowers. Leaf retention can happen for a variety of reasons, including suckering stock or early frosts.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Sunburst’
‘Robert’ makes spidery shapes in the watery English sunshine. For more tips, see Witch Hazel 101: A Field Guide and find more winter bloomers in our curated guide to Shrubs 101, including.
 {"vars":{"GA4_MEASUREMENT_ID":"G-GB8Q6PKMP8","GA4_ENDPOINT_HOSTNAME":"www.google-analytics.com","DEFAULT_PAGEVIEW_ENABLED":true,"GOOGLE_CONSENT_ENABLED":false,"WEBVITALS_TRACKING":false,"PERFORMANCE_TIMING_TRACKING":false,"CUSTOM_PAGE_TITLE":"${title} - Gardenista","WEB_STORY_LENGTH":"14"}} {"vars":{"gtag_id":"UA-146156281-1","config":{"UA-146156281-1":{"groups":"default"}}},"triggers":{"storyOpen":{"on":"visible","request":"event","vars":{"event_name":"web_story_open","event_action":"story_open","event_category":"${title} - Gardenista","event_label":"${storyPageCount}","send_to":"UA-146156281-1"}},"storyProgress":{"on":"story-page-visible","request":"event","vars":{"event_name":"slide_view","event_action":"story_progress","event_category":"${title} - Gardenista","event_label":"${storyPageIndex}","send_to":"UA-146156281-1"}},"storyEnd":{"on":"story-last-page-visible","request":"event","vars":{"event_name":"story_complete","event_action":"story_end","event_category":"${title} - Gardenista","event_label":"${storyPageIndex}","send_to":"UA-146156281-1"}},"tapLeft":{"on":"click","selector":".i-amphtml-story-back-prev","request":"event","vars":{"event_name":"interaction","event_action":"tap_left","event_category":"${title} - Gardenista","event_label":"${storyPageIndex}","send_to":"UA-146156281-1"}},"tapRight":{"on":"click","selector":".i-amphtml-story-fwd-next","request":"event","vars":{"event_name":"interaction","event_action":"tap_right","event_category":"${title} - Gardenista","event_label":"${storyPageIndex}","send_to":"UA-146156281-1"}},"openAttachment":{"on":"story-open","tagName":"amp-story-page-attachment","request":"event","vars":{"event_name":"interaction","event_action":"open_attachment","event_category":"${title} - Gardenista","event_label":"${storyPageIndex}","send_to":"UA-146156281-1"}},"muteStory":{"on":"story-audio-muted","request":"event","vars":{"event_name":"interaction","event_action":"mute","event_category":"${title} - Gardenista","event_label":"${storyPageIndex}","send_to":"UA-146156281-1"}},"unmuteStory":{"on":"story-audio-unmuted","request":"event","vars":{"event_name":"interaction","event_action":"unmute","event_category":"${title} - Gardenista","event_label":"${storyPageIndex}","send_to":"UA-146156281-1"}}}} {"requests":{"reportEvents":"https://pi.story.domains/events/amp"},"transport":{"xhrpost":true,"useBody":true},"extraUrlParams":{"eventName":"${eventName}","device":"${device}","platform":"${platform}","languageId":"${languageId}","deviceLanguage":"${deviceLanguage}","appVersion":"${appVersion}","storyId":"${storyId}","channelId":"${channelId}","companyId":"${companyId}","userId":"${userId}","slideId":"${slideId}"},"triggers":{"openStory":{"on":"visible","request":"reportEvents","vars":{"eventName":"story_open","device":"desktop","platform":"amp","languageId":"2","deviceLanguage":"${browserLanguage}","appVersion":"2","storyId":"xLRo2","channelId":"3425","companyId":"2214","userId":"${clientId(msuser)}","slideId":"${storyPageIndex}"}},"slideView":{"on":"story-page-visible","request":"reportEvents","vars":{"eventName":"slide_view","device":"desktop","platform":"amp","languageId":"2","deviceLanguage":"${browserLanguage}","appVersion":"2","storyId":"xLRo2","channelId":"3425","companyId":"2214","userId":"${clientId(msuser)}","slideId":"${storyPageIndex}"}},"tapLeft":{"on":"click","selector":".i-amphtml-story-back-prev","request":"reportEvents","vars":{"eventName":"slide_tap_left","device":"desktop","platform":"amp","languageId":"2","deviceLanguage":"${browserLanguage}","appVersion":"2","storyId":"xLRo2","channelId":"3425","companyId":"2214","userId":"${clientId(msuser)}","slideId":"${storyPageIndex}"}},"tapRight":{"on":"click","selector":".i-amphtml-story-fwd-next","request":"reportEvents","vars":{"eventName":"slide_tap_right","device":"desktop","platform":"amp","languageId":"2","deviceLanguage":"${browserLanguage}","appVersion":"2","storyId":"xLRo2","channelId":"3425","companyId":"2214","userId":"${clientId(msuser)}","slideId":"${storyPageIndex}"}}}}