An initiative of the province of Antwerp Provincie Antwerpen
Hamamelis
Witch hazel, Hamamelis, blooms in the winter regardless of
cold or snow. It has yellow, orange , or red flowers on bare branches,
and spreads a powerful but wonderfully sweet perfume. The witch hazel
collection is the largest in Europe and contains some of the oldest
recorded examples. Various plants are the original mother plants which
all commercially cultivated young plants stem from.
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In nature
Witch hazel belongs, along with other spectacular trees and shrubs such as Corylopsis, to the Hamamelidaceae family. The Hamamelis genus consists of 5 different varieties and one hybrid.
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In the garden
Witch hazel is a plant which requires little care. Each year we are able to enjoy the beauty of these winter-flowering shrubs all over again. Witch hazel can live to a great age.
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Witch hazel festival
From mid-January to the end of February, everything here is dominated by witch hazel. There is a special Hamamelis route, there are guided tours, and each year a "Miss Witch Hazel" contest is held.
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Cultivar registration
Arboretum Kalmthout is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Hamamelis, and we manage the global register of cultivar names for witch hazel.
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Named cultivars
In 2014 we published the "Hamamelis cultivar names checklist". This document offers an overview of all officially registered witch hazel varieties currently known. Synonyms and incorrectly spelled names can also be found in this document.
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Witch hazel collection
Arboretum Kalmthout has one of the largest and oldest collections of witch hazels in Europe. Find out which overseas colleagues also have major collections.