How to grow witch hazel: plant a bare-root, dormant shrub between late fall and early spring. Soak the roots, then set the plant at the depth it grew in a wide hole. Choose part shade to full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Water deeply through the first year, mulch the root zone and prune only dead wood or suckers.
This guide comes from TN Nursery's potting shed. TN Nursery is a third-generation family nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, growing native trees and plants since 1959. Most of our plants ship bare-root and dormant, so this guide starts where your planting does: the day the box arrives.
How to grow witch hazel: start with the native species
Common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is the witch hazel native to eastern North America. It is not the same plant as the Asian hybrids sold in garden centers, which bloom in late winter. The native shrub flowers in fall. Iowa State Extension puts its yellow blooms from mid-October to early December.
It grows into a large, rounded shrub, up to about 20 feet tall and wide, and you can train it as a small tree. It is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 and has few pest problems, according to Iowa State University Extension. We grow it as a bare-root witch hazel shrub in 1-2 foot and 2-3 foot sizes.
When to plant witch hazel
Plant witch hazel while it is dormant, which means it has no leaves and is resting for the season. That window runs from late fall to early spring, before the buds break. A dormant plant puts its energy into new roots instead of leaves.
| Time of year | What to do |
|---|---|
| Late fall (after leaves drop) | Best window in mild areas. Roots keep growing in cool soil. |
| Winter | Plant on any day the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. |
| Early spring (before buds open) | Best window where the ground freezes hard. Plant as soon as you can dig. |
| Late spring and summer | Avoid planting bare-root stock. Heat and leaf growth stress new roots. |
What to do when the bare-root box arrives
Bare-root means the plant comes with no soil around its roots. Those roots must never dry out. Open the box the day it arrives and check that the roots are damp.
- Soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours before planting. Do not leave them in water for more than a day.
- If the roots feel dry when you open the box, soak them right away and plant as soon as you can.
- Plant within a day or two if you can. Keep the plants in a cool, shaded spot until then.
- If you must wait longer, heel them in: lay the roots in a shallow trench, cover them with moist soil and water well.
- Keep roots covered with a damp cloth or bucket while you dig. Wind and sun dry them in minutes.
Where is the best place to plant a witch hazel tree?
Pick a spot with part shade to full sun. Witch hazel does not grow or bloom well in full shade. The soil should be moist but drain well; avoid soggy low spots and very dry ground.
The native shrub likes rich, slightly acidic soil and tolerates clay, notes this native plant guide. A woodland edge, the side of a house or a spot under tall trees with morning sun all suit it. Leave room for a shrub that can reach 20 feet across.
How to plant bare-root witch hazel step by step
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Soak the roots
Stand the roots in water for a few hours while you prepare the hole.
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Dig a wide, shallow hole
Make it wider than the roots spread out, and only as deep as the roots are long. Loosen the soil at the sides.
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Trim damaged roots
Snip off any broken or mushy root ends with clean pruners.
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Set the depth
Find the root collar, where the stem meets the roots. It often shows as a color change. Set it level with the ground, never buried.
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Spread the roots and backfill
Fan the roots out over a small mound of soil in the hole. Fill with the soil you dug out, firming it gently with your hands to remove air pockets.
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Water deeply
Soak the hole slowly so the soil settles around the roots. Add more soil if it sinks.
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Mulch
Spread a layer of shredded bark or leaves over the root zone. Keep it a few inches away from the stem.
Watering and mulching in the first year
Steady moisture is what a new witch hazel needs most. Iowa State Extension advises keeping the soil evenly moist through the first growing seasons.
- Water deeply about once a week when rain is short, more often in hot, dry spells.
- Check the soil a few inches down. Water when it feels dry, not when the surface does.
- Top up the mulch each spring to keep roots cool and hold moisture.
- Skip heavy fertilizer. A little compost on the surface is plenty.
Pruning lightly and removing suckers
Witch hazel rarely needs pruning. In late winter or early spring, cut out dead or crossing branches. Leave the rest to keep its natural shape.
Some plants send up suckers, which are new shoots from the base. Cut these at the ground to keep a tidy shrub, or remove all but one trunk to train a small tree. Let them grow if you want a dense thicket.
Planting a witch hazel hedge or border from seedlings
For a long border, screen or wildlife planting, start with young bare-root witch hazel seedlings. They come in 6-12 inch and 12-18 inch sizes, in bundles, and they plant the same way as larger shrubs.
- Space them about 10 to 12 feet apart. As they mature, the shrubs grow into each other and form a solid border.
- Give a single, free-standing shrub more room, since it can spread about 20 feet across.
- Mark each seedling with a stake so you can find it to water and mow around it.
- Keep grass and weeds pulled back from small seedlings in their first years.
For a mixed native border, plant witch hazel beside other TN Nursery natives such as Spice Bush, Black Haw Viburnum, Carolina Allspice Seedlings and Pawpaw Tree Seedlings. Check the light and soil needs on each product page before you set out the row.
Witch hazel questions
Is it hard to grow witch hazel?
No. Native witch hazel is a tough, low-care shrub with few insect or disease problems. Give it soil that drains well, part shade to full sun and steady water in its first year. After that it needs little more than a fresh layer of mulch each spring and the odd dead branch removed.
How long does it take for witch hazel to grow?
Witch hazel grows slowly to moderately. A young bare-root plant spends its first year or two building roots, so top growth may look modest at first. It then takes several years to become a large shrub, and reaching its full size can take many years.
What are the downsides of having a witch hazel tree?
It gets large, up to about 20 feet tall and wide, so it needs room. Some plants send up suckers from the base that need cutting back. Its fall flowers can also be hidden by yellow fall leaves. Established plants do not move well, so choose the site with care.
When should you plant witch hazel?
Plant it while it is dormant, from late fall to early spring, on a day when the ground is not frozen or soggy. In mild areas, fall planting gives roots a head start in cool soil. Where winters freeze hard, plant as early in spring as you can dig.
