Witch Hazel, Winter Hazel: What’s the Difference?
Learn to tell these similarly named shrubs apart.
With their similar common names and some similar characteristics, winter hazel and witch hazel can be easy to confuse. Here are the differences between these treasured shrubs that flower when little else is in bloom.
Botanical name:
Witch hazels are Hamamelis.
Winter hazels are Corylopsis.
Size and shape:
Witch hazels grow between 10 and 20 feet tall and most have a vase shape with upright or arching branches.
Winter hazels are generally smaller, growing 4 to 10 feet tall depending on species, with a rounded shape.
Bloom time:
Witch hazels bloom some time between late fall and earliest spring, with exact timing dependent on the species.
Winter hazels bloom in late winter.
Flowers:
Witch hazel flowers have numerous long, skinny petals that make each blossom resemble a spider or firework. The flowers are most pronounced on Hamamelis xintermedia cultivars. Witch hazel flowers can be yellow, orange, red or purple, and they have a spicy fragrance, which is strongest on H. virginiana and H. vernalis.
Winter hazels have yellow flowers with a sweet fragrance. The blossoms have a bell shape and hang downward.
Origins:
Witch hazel species are native to Asia or North America. For example, H. virginiana and H. vernalis are native to portions of the eastern United States. The H. xintermedia cultivars result from crosses between two Asian species.
Winter hazels are native to Asia.
Bottom image by Yoko Nekonomania, CC BY 2.0.
