Do you know if the plants happen to be grafted? (Most witchhazel are.) When grafted, these Asian witchhazel varieties tend to be grafted onto the roots of one of our native species, such as Common Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana). This particular species blooms in autumn, around the time its foliage is changing color and shedding, so the blooms can be less showy because they are somewhat hidden or blend-in to the yellowing leaves. If the grafted roots have developed their own branches, which will otherwise be fairly indistinguishable from the Asian varieties, that might explain why the plant is not flowering much, if at all, in late winter or early spring. It's not uncommon for rootstocks to send up their own shoots, called suckers, from below the graft unnoticed (at least until they flower). You could look over the plants this autumn (anytime from September through November) to see if it's hiding blooms.

As to why there are no blooms on the "proper" variety, the Asian hybrid type you purchased (either if the canopy is a mix of Asian and American species growth, or even if it isn't and no suckering has happened), it's hard to say. Are the plants in heavy shade, or do they receive some dappled sun? If too shaded, that can impact flowering, even though witchhazels in general are fairly adaptable to semi-shade.

Are the plants old enough? Without knowing what size of plant you started with, it's hard to say if they are mature enough to flower. (Were they blooming when you purchased them?)

Are they pruned or browsed by deer? Witchhazel isn't typically bothered by deer, but nothing is deer-proof, and exploratory nibbles (or trimming) could remove buds, depending on what time of year it happens.

If you can share photos of the plants, we might have other theories as to why they are being stubborn and not flowering.

Miri

Miri,

 

I’ve attached 2 pictures of my witch hazel trees discuss below.  The trees were blooming in the early Spring when purchased 5-6 years ago.  I don’t see any evidence of suckering, they don’t flower in the Fall either, and they are 8-9 feet tall so I would think mature enough.  For all practical purposes they appear healthy enough, exposed too plenty of sunshine, and not particularly bothered by deer.

 

Any other thoughts or information I can provide? 

 

Thank you!

 

John 

Hello John,

Thank you for the photos, they are helpful. Interestingly, the plants pictured do not look like typical witchhazel, especially in their congested and upright growth habit (which even pruning probably would not generate). The foliage also looks slightly different, though it's hard to tell for certain at this distance. Could they be Parrotia instead (a witchhazel family member, also called Persian Ironwood, Parrotia persica)? Their foliage is superficially similar to witchhazel (Hamamelis), but their blooms are more subtle and a different color. Parrotia mature quite large compared to true witchhazel species, and do naturally have this more upright habit.

Perhaps the witchhazel purchased were grafted onto Parrotia rootstock instead of native witchhazel rootstock. That might explain why it sounds like they had normal flowers at one point (the prominent yellow blooms typical of 'Arnold's Promise'), if the top growth had since been subsumed or taken over by more aggressive suckering from Parrotia roots.

We agree that the plants look old enough (especially if flowering when planted) and they appear to be in great health. If there are buds on the plants this coming winter/spring (in case it has been blooming unnoticed), feel free to share close-up photos, as we might be able to tell them apart from each other if Parrotia is a possibility. With enough maturity, Parrotia bark is also different from witchhazel bark, having a more mottled, flaking character and range of colors. We're not sure if the plants pictured are old enough to exhibit this yet, but in winter it might be easier to assess that trait.

Miri