PlantFiles: Witch Hazel
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise'

Seemed slow to establish; profuse suckering but no disease issues. Takes drought once established. Nice fall color but spring blooms adversely affected by late season drought. Seems to be partial to acidic soil.

My Arnold's Promise has been living in a pot for 4-5 years here in Seattle. Last week (early Feb) two blooms appeared, and that's all. What's the problem? Can I expect more, or is that it for this year?

Thanks for any guidance.

P.S. I bought the plant at Swanson's Nursery in the hope of winter fragrance, but it has never been fragrant at all.

this is a spectacular specimen plant ..When planted was apprx 4 ft 10 years ago and now is apprx 10 by 10
Beautiful intense yellow flowers and gourgeous fall foilage

I have pics that I could share but I do not think they will let you post them on here ?

Does better than Hamamelis vernalis here. Even after a mild winter, H. vernalis doesn't flower well but this one is pretty reliable.

Arnold Promise was the first variety of Witch Hazel that I added to my garden, and it had me hooked on it's beautiful form and early splash of color from the first year. I would question the 4'-6' height listing though, as I have had to prune twice a year to keep mine at 6'. I really wish I had planted it somewhere else where I could let it grow to it's heart's content. I would not describe It's fragrance as "sweet", but is nice and I can smell it from 20' away when it is at is prime. This is one plant that I will definitely never be without.

'Arnold Promise' witch hazel is the first of this fine species that I had the pleasure to become acquainted with (and plant for myself) back in the 1980s.

I have enjoyed this large-growing shrub to small tree sized plant and its copious late winter and early spring fragrant bright yellow blooms. The only downside to 'Arnold Promise' performance is that it often overlaps in bloom time with the ubiquitous forsythia around central KY. Given the choice, most gardeners know what a forsythia is, and nurseries will sell them a thousand to each one witch hazel.

This is a fine plant, but it is rapidly being superceded by newer selections that bloom earlier in the winter when there is little to no competition.

I look forward to the late winter flowers every year! Blooms around Mid February around here-sometimes a bit earlier, and lasts about 4 weeks.

Received The Royal Horticultural Society, Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 2005.

This is probably the most well known witch hazel and rightly so; the flowers are among the largest of the witch hazels and are a brilliant yellow. It was a selection made at the Arnold Arboretum, Mass., in 1963. This cultivar also has excellent fall colour.