delirium florens
Hamamelis vernalis
I believe that this is a picture of an Ozark witch-hazel for following reasons: it flowers in late winter, the centers of the flowers appear to be very red, the petals are red towards the center of the flower, the young branches seem to grow in a zig-zag pattern, and the flowers grow close to each other like grapes. However, this was taken in the golden hour, so colours may well be off. Also: the petals, which for H. vernalis are often described as very thin, look rather similar to those seen in my other Hamamelis pictures , they are more likely to be red than yellow, and there are no leaves visible on this plant to make identifcation easier. Which means that we may well be dealing with another Hamamelis × intermedia variety. As usual, when the variation within a genus is less than that between its cultivars, it can be really difficult for an amateur to be certain.
We will just assume that I am right and I will just tell you a bit about the Ozark witch-hazel. It takes its common name from the Ozark Plateau in the US states of Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas, to which it is native. It often grows close to but does not interbreed with Hamamelis virginiana. The Ozark witch-hazel forms bushes on gravel and rocky stream banks at altitudes between 100 and 400 meters (320 - 1320 ft). It survives in areas with annual average minimum temperatures between -23° and -20° Celsius (-10 to -5° F). This hardiness and the fact that the species, as opposed to e.g. H. virginiana, has strongly scented flowers, make it ideal for cultivation. The variation in the colours of those cultivar's flowers (for example 'Carnea' (pink), 'Autumn embers' (copper-red), 'Red Imp' (red petals with orange tips), or 'Squib' (vivid yellow flowers)) takes us back to my initial point: It is very difficult to know which variety you are looking at. This may be 'Red Imp' or it may be something else entirely. In any case, they are always a lovely surprise to behold in the cold days of winter.
Hamamelis vernalis
I believe that this is a picture of an Ozark witch-hazel for following reasons: it flowers in late winter, the centers of the flowers appear to be very red, the petals are red towards the center of the flower, the young branches seem to grow in a zig-zag pattern, and the flowers grow close to each other like grapes. However, this was taken in the golden hour, so colours may well be off. Also: the petals, which for H. vernalis are often described as very thin, look rather similar to those seen in my other Hamamelis pictures , they are more likely to be red than yellow, and there are no leaves visible on this plant to make identifcation easier. Which means that we may well be dealing with another Hamamelis × intermedia variety. As usual, when the variation within a genus is less than that between its cultivars, it can be really difficult for an amateur to be certain.
We will just assume that I am right and I will just tell you a bit about the Ozark witch-hazel. It takes its common name from the Ozark Plateau in the US states of Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas, to which it is native. It often grows close to but does not interbreed with Hamamelis virginiana. The Ozark witch-hazel forms bushes on gravel and rocky stream banks at altitudes between 100 and 400 meters (320 - 1320 ft). It survives in areas with annual average minimum temperatures between -23° and -20° Celsius (-10 to -5° F). This hardiness and the fact that the species, as opposed to e.g. H. virginiana, has strongly scented flowers, make it ideal for cultivation. The variation in the colours of those cultivar's flowers (for example 'Carnea' (pink), 'Autumn embers' (copper-red), 'Red Imp' (red petals with orange tips), or 'Squib' (vivid yellow flowers)) takes us back to my initial point: It is very difficult to know which variety you are looking at. This may be 'Red Imp' or it may be something else entirely. In any case, they are always a lovely surprise to behold in the cold days of winter.