Witch Hazel Blooming Time and Detailed Post-Bloom Pruning Methods
Witch hazel (Hamamelis) is an annual herbaceous flowering plant with a peculiar flower shape; its golden petals are like threads, and it blooms in the cold, resembling wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), which is why it is called "jinlümei" (golden-thread plum). In addition, because of its strong cold tolerance, it is also called “rendonghua” (winter honeysuckle flower). It is widely distributed in the Yangtze River basin of our country. So when does witch hazel bloom? And how should it be pruned after blooming?
1. When does witch hazel bloom
I believe many people have heard of the name witch hazel. It is not only a flowering tree of great ornamental value, but can also be used as medicine. Female friends are probably more familiar with it, because witch hazel has excellent beauty benefits: it can soothe the skin and delay aging, and many skincare products contain witch hazel extract. I wonder whether witch hazel's anti-aging effect is related to its blooming period.
Witch hazel is a flowering tree of great ornamental value, and one of its characteristics is its early blooming period. Its blooming period can span the two seasons of winter and spring. When it blooms, it is the time of year when the fewest flowers are in bloom, giving it a rather proud, solitary charm. Every year from December to March of the following year is the blooming period of witch hazel, during which it will bloom successively. The golden-yellow flowers, red flower centers, and rich, faint fragrance form a unique beautiful scene amid the bitter cold of winter.
Planting a witch hazel in your own courtyard or in a park, a lonely gray branch yet a whole tree of golden yellow, looks like a golden brocade cape at the horizon, magnificent and full of poetic charm. It flowers before it leafs out, with unyielding pride, creating a profound artistic conception. Paired with grotesque rocks beside the tree, one tree and one rock naturally form a scene of perfect poetic beauty, with an incomparable elegance and grace.
2. How to prune witch hazel after blooming
1. Principles of pruning witch hazel during the blooming period
Witch hazel is generally pruned after blooming, because this is simpler.
After witch hazel blooms, pay attention to observing the tree shape to prevent the branches from becoming too messy, and correct the shape in time. It is worth noting that even if witch hazel is not pruned in time, it will not become very messy; however, because it tends to grow horizontally, it is still necessary for us to prune the crown a little.
2. Methods of pruning witch hazel after blooming
When pruning witch hazel, first cut off some unnecessary branches, such as tillering branches and crowded branches, to make it look cleaner and less messy.
Secondly, after witch hazel blooms, pay attention to removing the fruit and flowering branches. However, even if the fruit is not removed from witch hazel, it will not have much effect on the growth of the plant.
Another very important point is to adjust the tree shape of witch hazel. We should first observe the growth of witch hazel and prune on the premise of maintaining overall balance, cutting off outer branches and branches that affect the ornamental appearance, and reducing the crown.
If you want to maintain the original height or the original tree shape, you can cut off the main trunk that witch hazel extends high.