Light Up The Winter Garden With Witch Hazel

Can’t choose between flowers and fragrance? Multi-tasking Hamamelis offers both, plus great autumn leaf colour and an elegant shape, says Graham Rice

- Graham Rice

WITCH hazel in full bloom, its sweet fragrance wafting across the garden on a sunny day, is one of winter’s horticultural highlights. Sometimes, as you walk through a village or down a suburban street, you can smell that sweetness even before you see the distinctive flowers.

Fragrance is not the only feature, however. At its best, witch hazel (Hamamelis) is one of the most exciting multi-feature shrubs, offering an unbeatable combination of flowers, fragrance, autumn leaf colour and an elegant shape. it’s easy to grow, too. What more could you wish for?