witchhazel

I saw witchhazel blooming in Gramercy Square today, right on schedule, but still a surprise. It's one of the nicest things about the end of winter. The way the petals curl back around the calyx reminds me snowdrops, which are also in bloom now.
The variety they grown there is deep yellow, 'Arnolds Promise,' I think. There are several esteemed varieties, ranging from pale yellow ('Pallida') through a nice deep rusty orange ('Jelena'). All of them are nice large shrubs with good foliage and fall color.
The only fault of the witchhazels is that they tend to hold onto their dead leaves, which spoils the display of winter flowers. It's a nuisance to have to pull dead leaves from a deciduous tree.
Witchhazels are fragrant, sometimes freely so. I can't help myself from picking a flower, inspecting it closely, and keeping it in my pocket. Warmth seems to bring out the scent.
The illustration is by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the great Scottish architect and decorator.