OZARK WITCH HAZEL

This is Ozark witch hazel and if you get out into the woods you'll probably get to see it in bloom. Yes, in January! This shrub grows to about 9 feet, the red and yellow flowers are fragrant- a wonderful smell, and can be found in gravel and rocky streambeds, at the base of rocky slopes and along streams. The largest "patch" that I have ever seen was in Tabor Creek, along the North Fork Section. See page 132 in the 2nd Edition of The Ozark Trail Guidebook for directions to this spot. Ozark witch hazel blooms from January to April, but I have only seen this plant in bloom from January to mid February. Of course the time of blooms depends on the weather. There are many places along the Ozark Trail where this plant can be found, just find a gravel creekbed and look around. If you can't make it out to the trail and are in the St. Louis area, go to Shaw Nature Reserve located in Gray Summit www.shawnature.org , they use to have a few plants in their native plant garden. Call ahead (636) 451-3512,
For more information on Ozark witch hazel get a copy of the book Shrubs and Woody Vines of Missouri by Don Kurz and Paul Nelson