Diane Witch Hazel

Hamamelis vx intermedia ‘Diane’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub or Small Tree

Height at Maturity: 8-12′, depending on pruning

Width at Maturity: 10-12′, depending on pruning

Spacing: 8′ for solid hedges; 16’+ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Broad

Growth Rate: Fast

Flower Color: Opens Blood Orange-Red changing to variegated Orange and Red and then to Copper Orange and Gold!

Flower Size: 1.5″

Flowering Period: South: January to February | North: February to March

Flower Type: Fringe

Fragrant Flowers: Yes!

Foliage Color: Green during spring and summer turning to shades of vibrant Orange, Red and Yellow in Fall!

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average

Soil Type: Clay (amend heavy clay), Loam, Sandy (amended), Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well-Drained

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.5 (Acid to Moderately Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Very Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Humidity, Insects

Description

Extremely showy at a time of year when we need color most in the landscape, ‘Diane’ Witch Hazel is a large shrub or small tree prized for both her colorful and fragrant winter blooms and fall foliage. Starting in January down South or February in the North, LOADS of unique, thread-like, blood orange red fringe flowers emerge all along bare branches and stems. As the flowers age they turn from red to bicolor red and orange and then to golden and copper orange. You can leave this one to grow naturally as a large shrub or remove lower branches to form an outstanding, small multi or single trunk specimen tree similar in form to Crape Myrtle or Loropetalum. The color show resumes in fall with the large oval-shaped green leaves light up the landscape with vibrant shades of orange, red and yellow.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 8 to 10 feet tall and about 10 to 12 feet wide, Diane Witch hazel can be grown as a large shrub or small tree. As a shrub she is ideal for use as a specimen, in groupings, or as a natural hedge. As the shrub grows taller, lower branches can be removed to form a very attractive small evergreen tree that serves well as a colorful focal point specimen in landscape borders and home foundations. A fine addition to orange or red theme gardens, fragrance gardens and cottage gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 8 feet apart for solid hedge; 18 feet or more apart for space between plants

Growing Preferences

Diane Witch Hazel is very easy to grow in most any well-drained but moist soils in full sun to part shade. It prefers a moist acidic soil rich in organic matter but also grows well in well-drained clay soils. Though full sun tolerant, in hotter climates of the South we think she performs best with some afternoon shade. Little pruning is required but responds well to it for shaping or tree forming.

Helpful Articles

Plant and care for as you would Loropetalum shrubs.

How To Plant A Loropetalum Shrub

How To Fertilize & Water A Loropetalum Shrub

Plant Long & Prosper!

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Questions? Contact Us

I normally purchase all my plant material locally, but I wanted a variety of witch hazel that I just couldn’t find anywhere in my area. So I looked online and arrived at Wilson Bros. After reading as much as I could on the site, I decided to take a chance. I was very pleased with the delivery process and the way that my shrub was packed for shipment. I’ve planted it in a great location, and now of course time will tell if it thrives. But I”m optimistic that this will prove to have been a good purchase decision.————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG