Witchhazel, Common, Bare Root

Common Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

A large native shrub or small understory tree that flowers as the growing season closes. Yellow ribbon-like petals bring color to woodland edges in fall, sometimes continuing into early winter.

Key Characteristics

Fall flowers, not late-winter flowers

Common witchhazel usually blooms in October–December. Flowers can overlap its yellow autumn foliage, unlike vernal witchhazel's later display on winter branches.

Pair the seasons

Plant with Vernal Witchhazel, which generally flowers in late winter into early spring and is usually shorter and more colony-forming. Together they extend seasonal color and offer forage to bees active on warm winter days when flowers are open; they do not promise uninterrupted winter bloom.

More visitors than bees alone

Small flies and noctuid moths also visit the flowers. Its foliage hosts witchhazel dagger moth caterpillars, adding a summer function to this late-flowering plant.

Leave space for an understory tree

Use it behind lower shrubs or beside a woodland path. Its larger mature size is an important difference from the vernal species.

Product Details

• Native range: Eastern North America
• Life cycle: Deciduous woody perennial
• Sun: Full Sun; Part Sun/Shade
• Soil moisture: Medium; Medium-Wet
• Mature height: 15–30 feet
• Bloom: October–November–December
• Bloom color: Yellow
• USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
• Fruit or seed: Woody capsules release seeds; grown for flowers and habitat rather than fruit.
• Pollination: Flowers are visited by small bees, flies, and moths. The linked Vernal Witchhazel is a seasonal garden companion, not a promised cross-pollinator.

Planting and Ongoing Care

Keep bare roots moist until planting, water the root zone during establishment, and mulch without covering the crown. Base fertilizer on a soil test; our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend can be used according to its label when feeding is needed.

Keep roots evenly moist and inspect leaf galls before treating; many are cosmetic. Prune selectively after flowering if needed, allowing for later seed development. Avoid insecticides on open flowers. Seed-grown plants vary in growth, flowering, and fruiting.