All About Hamamelidaceae: The Witch Hazel Family
Joanna Long
1) Corylopsis glabrescens Fragrant Winter Hazel
- Corylopsis are Asian natives which bloom in late winter or early spring with profusions of sunny yellow flowers dangling from bare branches.
- Corylopsis glabrescens is the hardiest of the genus and can grow up to 15 feet high and wide.
- Flower buds are about to burst open on this shrub in the Witt Winter Garden.
2) Hamamelis mollis ‘Gold Crest’ Chinese Witch Hazel
- These small spreading trees put on a lovely show of spidery yellow flowers in the winter.
- The cultivar ‘Gold Crest’ has larger flowers and blooms later than most other cultivars.
- Many cultivars are grafted onto rootstock from H. virginiana, the East Coast native and any root suckers should be promptly removed.
- You can find H. Mollis ‘Gold Crest’ in the Witt Winter Garden.
3) Parrotia persica Persian Ironwood
- Parrotia persica are endemic to the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran and southern Azerbaijan.
- The trees, which can reach 40 feet in height, are highly ornamental with scaly bark, apetalous red flowers in late winter, and a rainbow of fall color.
- There are two specimens blooming along Arboretum Drive in the middle of the bus turnaround.
4) Sycopsis sinensis Chinese Fighazel
- These evergreen trees are native to central China and are still somewhat uncommon in horticulture.
- The apetalous flowers are very similar to Parrotia, but are yellow.
- Our Sycopsis grove dates back to the 1940s. You can find it along Arboretum Drive just south of the bus turnaround.
5) x Sycoparrotia semidecidua Sycoparrotia
- This unusual tree is a cross between the genera, Sycopsis and Parrotia. Although species hybrids are common, genus hybrids are not, and are indicated by an x before the genus in the name.
- The hybrid parentage is obvious in both the foliage and the flowers.
- You can view x Sycoparrotia semidecidua on the west side of the Sycopsis grove along Arboretum Drive.