Did you know that the first splashes of colour of the year in many gardens belong to the so-called witch hazel? The colour is provided by the very specially shaped flowers that appear on these shrubs long before the leaves, from January to the end of March. These yellow, orange or sometimes even red formations are the four petals of the flower. The pistils and stamens can be seen at the base of the flower if you look closely.
The genus witch hazel (Hamamelis) from the witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae) still includes five different species. The Chinese and Japanese witch hazels are native to East Asia, the other three species are found in eastern North America. In the gardens of Central Europe, mostly varieties are planted that were bred from a cross between Japanese and Chinese witch hazel.
Their flowers not only look particularly beautiful, but they often also exude a pleasant fragrance.
You can see and smell these blossoms at the Botanical Garden in Braunschweig, for example.
The first flowers of the year sometimes appear as early as January, when there is still snow. The flowering time of these first so-called "early bloomers" then usually ends in April. What is the secret of these plants, how do they manage to flower so early in the year before most other plants and is this even an advantage for them? Here you will find some material to help you answer these questions. The Grüne Schule Braunschweig hopes you have fun exploring the mysterious world of early flowering plants!
Discovering the secret of the early bloomers (March assignment)