Winter is coming, with it comes grey skies, grey moods and no flowers, or so you may think.  I hear many Hoosiers asking themselves why winters must be so bleak in our wonderful state.  Though the skies may turn grey, your garden does not need to match its grisly appearance.  There are many plants that will bring interest, color and enjoyment to your yard during the winter months.  Today I will introduce one of those, the Witch Hazel, a native of the North American Continent.

The witch hazel has many positive qualities not only during the winter months, but throughout the year.  It grows from 8-20 feet depending on the variety and is easy to maintain.  Being hardy and with few to no pest problems, plant these in well drained soils and you will be treated to a symphony of color.  In the fall these plants blast into color with a beautiful display of color ranging from gold to orange to red.   Each individual witch hazel will have multiple colors in the fall and when planted in masses provide a stunning scene.

Let’s not forget what they bring in the winter!  This is what makes them truly unique.  While the rest of the plant world is going to sleep, witch hazels are just getting around to flowering.  Depending on the variety Witch Hazels bloom during late-fall, winter and early-spring.  The flowers bloom all over the plant, covering its branches.  Resembling spiders, these flowers may give you the heebe geebees, that is until you catch a whiff of their sweat aroma.  Visit the Missouri Botanical Gardens website to learn more and find out when to visit and see these and many other plants.  Read more here

Photo credit to Jim at “Your Garden Sanctuary”.  Read his great blog about witch hazels here!  A really great read, I highly recommend browsing the information he provides.