Back-lit boughs of flower-laden hamamelis gild the muted, winter garden gold, copper and bronze, and their perfume pervades the air. Witch hazels pack a mighty and enduring punch in the seasonal borders; these deciduous small trees or shrubs drop their – often colourful – hazel-like foliage in autumn to reveal a variety of flame-coloured, flower-laden, bare-leafed boughs from December through to the end of March. They blaze, illuminated by the low winter sun, from shimmering pale gold through fiery coppers and bronzes to rich, gleaming ruby reds. Warmed by the weakest winter sunshine, their spidery, crimped flowers are incredibly long-lasting but crucially release potent, exotic and spicy or citrusy perfumes capable of permeating an entire garden.
Hamamelis are universally super-hardy: they thrive in cold conditions and can withstand temperatures as low as -15˚C. Flowers bounce right back even after snowfall; in
