Hamamelis intermedia Westerstede - Witch Hazel

The Hamamelis x intermedia Westerstede, also known as the Witch Hazel, stands out from other hybrid witch hazels primarily due to its strongly spreading habit, resembling the shape of a large cup when the bush is mature. Vigorous, this variety is also one of the last to flower in the garden, but with a beautiful generosity. Its lightly scented flowering is a very bright yellow. It is also appreciated for its beautiful colours at the end of the season. This bush brightens up autumn and puts an end to the gloomy days. Plant it alongside other winter-flowering shrubs to create a timeless tableau!

The Hamamelis (x) intermedia 'Westerstede' is a horticultural variety obtained in Germany around 1977. It belongs to a group of cultivars resulting from the cross-breeding between Hamamelis japonica and H. mollis, respectively from Japan and China. All these plants belong to the family of witch hazels, which also includes Loropetalum, Liquidambar, and Persian ironwood, all of which consistently display foliage in fantastic colours. 'Westerstede' slowly forms a large, vigorous bush with an upright habit during its youth, then strongly spreading, with ascending branches, reaching approximately 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in) in all directions at maturity. Its deciduous foliage in winter is composed of ovate, slightly shiny leaves, initially yellowish-green with bronze highlights in spring, becoming dark green in summer, and then turning dark yellow, bronze, and orange in autumn, filling the garden with warm tones before falling. Its flowers, unfortunately, have little fragrance, but they delight with their abundance. They appear on bare branches during the months of February and March, composed of numerous elongated, curiously crumpled petals, almost claw-like like witch fingers. They are visited by the first bumblebees and bees in search of nectar.

The Hamamelis intermedia 'Westerstede' likes humus-rich, low-limestone, consistently moist, and light soils. It will thrive in partial shade. Plant it on the edge of a woodland, at the edge of a grove of tall trees, or alongside dogwoods (Cornus mas, Cornus officinalis), Daphnes, and Sarcococca. It will also look magnificent in a border, paired with evergreen shrubs like an autumn camellia or a large rhododendron. At its base, you can plant winter heathers, heucheras, or even hellebores, for example.