Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Hamamelidaceae

Genus:

Hamamelis

Species:

Hamamelis ovalis

USDA Symbol:

HAOV4

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

300 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

jan,feb,mar

Bloom Colors:

red, maroon

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fall Color:

yellow

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

native to forest understories with organic matter

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 150–240 days

Notes:

Seeds exhibit double dormancy requiring warm stratification followed by cold stratification; germination may take two years.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI