Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: First flowering shrubs of 2007...witch hazels!, 1 by Decumbent

Decumbent wrote:
I have "Ruby Glow" and I can vouch for its hardiness. Here is a shot of a bloom entirely encased in ice. After the ice melted (five days later) the blooms marched on as if nothing had ever hit them. They last for a very long time. This year it was from early January until just a few weeks ago.

Some observations. The red witchhazels seem to me to be in general much earlier bloomers than the yellows. Some yellows may be just as early, but not many. It seems like almost every red witchhazel starts just as early as they can, and last for a long time. I think I've seen "Westerstede" and a few other yellows come out early too, but the vast majority like "Arnold Promise" and "Pallida" start later and maybe don't last as long.

Aesthetically, I'm a little disappointed in "RG." The flowers are a little on the small side and also a bit glum in color, so they never really "pop" in the landscape. Perhaps on a hill with sunlight behind it, it would have more presence, but often it is lost in the landscape. In general, this is a complaint I have about all the red flowered hazels, although "Diane," which I'll post a photo of in the next post, is definitely better.

Hope this helps.

Scott