March 2, 2004
Witch Hazel, Hamamelis x intermedia "Arnold Promise"
The golden flowers of this witch hazel, which is growing near
the bike path along Fresh Pond Parkway, are true harbingers
of spring. The flowers open in late February or early March,
long before any other flowers appear. This plant is a non-native
hybrid developed at the Arnold Arboretum here in Massachusetts.

Common Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, is a New England
native. It also grows on the Reservation, along the perimeter road
in the vicinity of Neville Place. It blooms late in the fall or early
winter as its leaves are turning yellow and beginning to drop.