Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Hamamelidaceae

Genus:

Hamamelis

Species:

Hamamelis vernalis

USDA Symbol:

HAVE2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

450 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

jan,feb,mar

Bloom Colors:

yellow, orange, red

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

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

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fall Color:

yellow, golden

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from root crown following fire or cutting. Found in fire-prone Ozark woodland habitats.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

native to stream banks and wetland edges

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

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

Germination Time:

30–730 days

Notes:

Seeds exhibit double dormancy and may take 2 years to germinate. Warm stratification followed by cold stratification required.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI