A first sign that spring is just around the corner is the blooms on my Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Westerstede’. These witch hazels are a cross between Japanese witch hazel (H. japonica) and Chinese witch hazel (H. mollis).

The bright yellow blooms arrive in my zone 5 garden in mid-March and are very cold tolerant. The only year I experienced limited blooms was in the spring if 2009 however that was following a very severe and long cold winter. Hamemelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ however is much less cold tolerant with many of the top branches not blooming each year.

Now if it would just warm up outside!