Witchhazel

Hamamelis virginiana

Virginia witchhazel blooms when nothing else does. The strap-like yellow petals emerge on bare stems in October through December. some years right alongside the leaves still dropping. and the faint, clean fragrance drifts on cold air in a way that's genuinely surprising the first time you encounter it. It's the last woody plant of the year to flower in our region, and often the first to show color in the next year's cycle. As a large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, it forms a graceful vase shape with handsome wavy-edged leaves that turn bright yellow in fall before the flowers even appear. The fall foliage and winter flowers overlap on the same plant for a brief, spectacular week. A truly singular plant for the native garden.