Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Ruby Glow’
Ruby Glow Witch Hazel
- Family
- Hamamelidaceae
- Height
- 6 to 10 feet
- Width
- 6 to 12 feet
- Flower color
- Rich ruby-red flowers
- Foliage color
- Dark green leaves that turn shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall
- Bloom time
- Late winter to early spring
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Regular
- Maintenance
- Low maintenance
- Growing zone
- USDA Zones 5 to 8
- Wildlife
- Attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies with their early spring blooms and provide cover for birds
About this plant
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Ruby Glow' produces distinctive coppery-red flowers from midwinter into late winter, with narrow, crimped ribbon-like petals surrounding deep purplish-red calyces on bare branches. Broad, rounded green leaves emerge after flowering and mature to dark green, creating a full leafy canopy through summer. In autumn, the foliage develops rich shades of orange, bronze, and red before falling, revealing the branching framework and preparing the shrub for its colorful winter display.
Originating at Arboretum Kalmthout in Belgium, 'Ruby Glow' was an early red-flowered selection of the hybrid between Japanese and Chinese witch hazels. Its vase-shaped habit and unusual winter flowers make it well suited to woodland gardens, mixed shrub borders, winter gardens, and specimen plantings, where its seasonal transitions can be fully appreciated.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Fragrant Gardens · Winter Interest · Woodland Gardens
Companion plants
Manzanita · California lilac · Poppy · Foxtail lily · Oregano · Globe artichoke
Design tip
Ozark witch hazel’s suckering habit makes it particularly effective in naturalistic plantings. Allow it to develop into a loose colony on a slope or woodland edge, where its spreading growth can help stabilize soil while creating winter interest.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Washington Park Arboretum.
