Harvest Moon Witch Hazel

Providing food for pollinators and nectar drinkers in your garden year round can be a challenge. Few shrubs or perennials bloom far into the fall let alone start in the late fall. If you have non-migrating Hummingbirds in your area, consider planting Harvest Moon Witch hazel. That’s right, this deciduous shrub starts blooming after it loses its leaves in November even in the colder hardiness zones. Meaning that you can have extremely late season interest and feed the wildlife at the same time.Harvest Moon witch hazel is botanically known as Hamamelis virginiana and it is native to North America. The spidery, yellow flowers appear after the foliage has fallen in early fall. Using Witch Hazel in a woodland garden scheme or in an open meadow area really adds to the year round interest. Witch Hazel is quite a large shrub that looks best when planted on its own as a highlighted specimen or as past of a collection of other Witch Hazels that bloom at different times of the winter. Harvest Moon Witch Hazel CarePlanting  Harvest Moon in full sun to part shade will ensure that it blooms profusely. Soil texture can be anything from a bit of clay to sandy. A neutral pH is perfect. Fertilizing is not recommended on an annual basis. Native plants tend to need far less feeding than hybrid varieties. Consistent watering is needed until Witch hazel establishes fully. After this shrub is mature it will be more drought tolerant.Pruning to keep the size smaller on Witch Hazel is easy to do. The time to prune is in late winter before the new foliage appears. Cut back any branches that are dead, diseased, dying or diagonal. Witch Hazel looks best when it is left to have as open a shape as possible, so make sure not to make too many branch shortening cuts. Harvest Moon is a large shrub, but would survive in a large container happily for quite a few years. The beautiful pink tinged spring foliage and the fall flowers would make for a dramatic display on a deck or patio.Harvest Moon Witch Hazel SpacingHarvest Moon has a mature height and width of 12-15 feet. Spacing for planting as a hedge or with other shrubs is recommended at 12 feet on center.Harvest Moon Witch Hazel InformationUSDA Hardiness Zones: 4 – 8Plant Type: BushesLight Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun (At Least 3 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)Mature Height: 12 – 15 FeetMature Spread: 12 – 15 FeetSpacing: 12 – 15 FeetHabit: UprightFlower Color(s): YellowFlower Description: Bloom Period: Foliage Type: DeciduousFoliage Color(s): GreenFoliage Description: Seasonal Interest: Spring Flowering, Fall Flowering, Winter InterestWatering: AverageResists: Deer, DiseaseTolerates: DroughtAttracts: BirdsContainer Role: Uses: Borders, Hedges & Privacy, Specimen or Focal Point, Wildlife GardensFeatures: Attracts Pollinators, Foliage Interest, Fragrant, Low Maintenance, Native to North AmericaBrand: American Beauties Native PlantsCommon Name: Harvest Moon Witch HazelOther Name(s): Scientific Name: HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA `HARVEST MOON`