Hamamelis vernalis – Vernal Witch-hazel

The earliest native shrub to flower, you will often find Vernal Witch-hazel flowering during warm spells in early February – certainly no later than early March. So keep your eyes – and your nose – working. Although fragrances do not permeate the air in late winter, if you walk up to the flowers for a sniff you will catch a rich, dried-apricot fragrance that is a potent tonic for the winter-weary nose. This witch-hazel hails from the Ozark Mountains but performs well here in the Catskills. It’s smaller and shrubbier than our local species, Common Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana).