March 20, 2007
"Arnold Promise" Witch Hazel (Hamanelis vernalis)
Truly a harbinger of spring, this small tree growing near the perimeter road on the east side of the Pond is covered with a mass of cheerful yellow flowers. This cultivar was developed at Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum. Spring blooming witch hazels are native to the southern United States. A northern species of witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, flowers late in the fall.