The winter hazel holds her flowers in neat little parcels which slowly unfold and unwrap at this time of year. Yes, I know, there are many yellow and cream-flowered shrubs around at this time of year, but this is one of the sweetest, being less brash than forsythia, and less well-recognised than witch-hazel.
In summer, winter hazel looks like, well, a hazel, but in the late winter and early spring, just when you need a lift, she pops out these lovely little flowers, which are sweetly-scented and cowslip-coloured.
Corylopsis pauciflora makes a happy, fat shrub in your garden. Plant her where you don’t have to get too muddy to trudge over and gaze at, and enjoy.
Vital stats
Location:
Acidic, well-drained soil
Light:
Part-shade
When to plant:
Autumn
What can I expect from this plant?
Height:
2 metres
Spread:
2 metres
Flowers:
February – March
10% off at Victoriana Nurseries
Anyone visiting Victoriana from F&F will automatically get a discount on their order. Click the link above.
Image a day
