Hamamelis vernalis

Hamamelis vernalis
Blooming in late February in the southern Ozarks
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Genus: Hamamelis
Species:
H. vernalis
Binomial name
Hamamelis vernalis

Hamamelis vernalis, the Ozark witchhazel[1] (or witch-hazel)[2] is a species of flowering plant in the witch-hazel family Hamamelidaceae, native to the Ozark Plateau in central North America, in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.[3] It is a large deciduous shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall.

Description

Hamamelis vernalis spreads by stoloniferous root sprouts. The leaves are oval, 7–13 cm (2+3⁄4–5 in) long and 6.7–13 cm (2+5⁄8–5+1⁄8 in) broad, cuneate to slightly oblique at the base, acute or rounded at the apex. They have a wavy-toothed or shallowly lobed margin, and a short, stout petiole 7–15 mm (0.28–0.59 in) long. The leaves are dark green above, and glaucous beneath, and often persist into the early winter.

The flowers are deep to bright red, rarely yellow, with four ribbon-shaped petals 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long and four short stamens, and grow in clusters. Flowering begins in mid winter and continues until early spring. The Latin specific epithet vernalis means "spring-flowering".[4]

The fruit is a hard woody capsule 10–15 mm (3⁄8–5⁄8 in) long, which splits explosively at the apex at maturity one year after pollination, ejecting the two shiny black seeds up to 10 m (33 ft) distant from the parent plant.

Although often occurring with the related Hamamelis virginiana, H. vernalis does not intergrade, and can be distinguished by its flowering in late winter (December to March in its native range), rather than fall.[3][5]

Cultivation and uses

Hamamelis vernalis is valued in cultivation for its strongly scented flowers appearing in late winter, when little else is growing. Several cultivars have been selected, mainly for variation in flower color, including 'Carnea' (pink flowers), 'Red Imp' (petals red with orange tips), and 'Squib' (vivid yellow flowers).[3][6]

  • New foliage, spent flowers
    New foliage, spent flowers
  • Flowers of Hamamelis varnalis 'Autumn embers' (copper-red)
    Flowers of Hamamelis varnalis 'Autumn embers' (copper-red)

References

  1. ^ NRCS. "Hamamelis vernalis". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Hamamelis vernalis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. ^ a b c Meyer, Frederick G. (1997). "Hamamelis vernalis". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 3. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  4. ^ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
  5. ^ Meyer, Frederick G. (1997). "Hamamelis". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 3. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  6. ^ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
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