Culture
Best grown in acidic, light but organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerates average garden soils, but not unamended heavy clays. Appreciates some afternoon part shade. Also appreciates protection from high winds. In St. Louis, this plant is best sited in a protected location. Flower buds/flowers are susceptible to damage from spring frosts. Prune as needed immediately after flowering.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Corylopsis spicata, commonly called spike winter hazel, is native to Japan. It is a dense, spreading, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 4-8’ tall and to 6-10’ wide. Small drooping clusters (racemes to 2” long) of fragrant tiny lemon yellow flowers (each to 3/8” long) with red to purple anthers bloom in late winter to early spring (March-April in St. Louis) before the leaves unfold. Each raceme usually has 6-12 flowers, with abundant racemes per shrub. After bloom, ovate to obovate leaves (to 4” long) emerge bronze-purple, changing to blue-green later in spring. Leaves are glaucous and pubescent beneath. Fall color consists of unexceptional shades of yellow to yellowish-green. Fruit is an inconspicuous two-beaked capsule, with each cell containing two small seeds. Corylopsis is closely related to and in the same family as witch hazel (Hamamelis).
Genus name comes from the Greek words korylos meaning hazel and opsis meaning like for leaf resemblance to Corylus.
Specific epithet means spiked.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
As is the case with forsythia and witch hazel, winter hazel provides late winter to early spring bloom in the landscape. It is a good addition to shrub borders or woodland gardens.