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I'd posted a picture of Hamamelis virginiana flowering in November and was was pretty alright all things considered. The trouble is that there's so much going on in November that it doesn't seem quite as special as Hamamelis x intermedia which flowers in late winter. Nothing* flowers in late winter here so this is pretty impressive.
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise' looks an awful lot like Hamamelis virginiana. I suppose it's an easy colour to work with with spring bulbs so that may not be a bad thing.
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' - Somewhere in between the previous. More interesting colour than 'Arnold Promise' but not as full looking as 'Diane.'
'Diane' is by far my favourite. I'm not a huge fan of Witch-Hazels but that's got loads of colour in March, right when you need it. I'm not sure I'd ever get one though. If I did though it would be 'Diane.'
* I'm exaggerating, but only a little. Sure there are early bulbs and the like but this seems to be the only big shrub that flowers before spring technically starts. Magnolia, Cercis canadensis, and various Dogwoods and Ornamental Cherries and the like all usually wait until April to do anything.
Always good for a splash of colour. They are really weird though. I think they creep me out. The more I look at them the more nervous I get.
ReplyDeleteahh, the good old HAMAMELIDACEAE family. One of my favorites. There is a shrub here we see frequent, Loropetalum chinense. Matti
ReplyDeleteWow those Loropetalum chinense are fantastic (from what Google shows me anyway).
ReplyDeleteBeen thinking a little more and my preferred very early spring shrub is Cornus mas for that easy-to-work-with yellow without the stragly mess of branches that Forsythia become, or the creepy spider-like flowers and borderline hardyness of Hamamelis x intermedia. Large red berries in the fall are a plus as well with the Dogwood.