Best witch hazel varieties – with unusual spider-like blooms to transform your winter garden

Witch hazel in bloom, Hamamelis intermedia 'Jelena', with orange and red flowers and a blue sky beyond.

Witch hazels are spectacular plants. When all else in the yard is dormant, these small trees or shrubs can transform an otherwise colorless winter landscape, producing a bounty of unusual, spider-like blooms in a range of warm shades.

There are five recognized species of Hamamelis, and many more witch hazel varieties that are found growing worldwide. From Asia, there is the Chinese witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis, or the Japanese witch hazel, Hamamelis japonica, while closer to home there are three native species found growing in the wilds of North America, including the American witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana.