Hamamelis × intermedia 'AURORA' witch hazel
Hamamelis
Witch hazels are unique shrubs that offer profuse flowering at times when everything else in the garden looks dull and far from cheerful. They are hybrids Asian species h.japonica and h.mollis. They form deciduous, mid-sized shrubs or small trees of an open vase shape, and thanks to its maximum size of about 3m they fit even a small garden.
Aurora is a late witch hazel variety with possibly the largest flowers so far described (3-4 cm). They boast a two-tone effect being dark red at the base, grading to golden yellow, keeping some red highlights along the petals. This colour play gives the flowers an overall coppery orange feeling. They come out later than most, usually from mid to late February, and continue blooming for 6-8 weeks. They are pleasantly fragrant, releasing a medium strong, sweet and spicy perfume on a sunny day. Aurora grows fast into a spreading, vase-shaped shrub, and produces flowers already from the base. Another thing makes witch hazels very attractive – autumn foliage colour. The leaves are deciduous, similar to hazel, rounded but larger, and turn vibrant orange and scarlet red in autumn.
It was bred by Jan van Hejningen in 1985, a Dutch nursery teacher of botany and a hamamelis expert. He crossbred at least 7 varieties, all of which have names beginning with a letter A. Aurora received AGM (the Award of Garden Merit) by the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society of England) in 2005.
Grow them in acid to neutral, moist but well drained soil. They don’t tolerate lime or hard pruning when older. Sunny location or light semi-shade is best. Fully hardy to about -29°C (USDA zone 5) but exposed sites are not recommended.
Last update 01-03-2020
Goods are shipped all over Europe. For Russia and U.K. and for further details please read about SHIPPING OPTIONS HERE.
Are you interested in a serious discount for orders NOV-FEB? Check your options here.
THE PRICES INCLUDE VAT of 15%. For quick conversion you can use 1 CZK = approx. 0.04 EUR
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
