Winter Hazel (Corylopsis spicata)
Small trees or shrubs found in the woodland of China, Taiwan and Himalaja.
Winter hazels have ovate, toothed pale to dark-green leaves and loose them after a fantastic yellow to orange-red fall color.
The nice yellow flowers are produced in spring (March to April) before new leaves emerge. Hardy late frosts can damage the flowers! The flowers must be cut after a few days to get buds for flowers fort he next spring. If not cutting the flowers the winter hazel will flower only with a few flowers the next spring.
The position in the bonsai garden should be full sun to slight shade (in the height of summer or on very hot summer days).
Watering every day and feeding with Bio Gold 2 or 3 times in summer time.
Repotting every two years after flowering in spring (mixture of akadama, peat and pumice).
Pruning the new branches one time in June.
Styling of Corylopsis in informal upright forms with single or multiple trunks in medium to extra-large sizes.
Propagation from air-layer in spring or greenwood cuttings in summer.
Without winter protection roots and branches can die.
The second kind of winter hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora) is growing as a small shrub with thinny branches and not as perfect to use for growing a bonsai as Corylopsis spicata.
Good winter hazel bonsai trees are rare and not really easy to get from Japan.
