The American species do not have the large conspicuous flower heads of Chinese witch hazel, which here in this part of USDA 8 often starts to bloom in December.

Does Vernal bloom slightly earlier than the Chinese Witch Hazel? Does it smell less fragrant?

I think I prefer the Vernal over the Virginiana. Fall blooming is not attractive to me.

The straight species of Chinese witch hazel is hamamelis mollis. The many hybrid forms involving h. mollis are known as hamamelis x intermedia. Blossom color, bloom time, intensity of fragrance and ultimate size all vary somewhat from cultivar to cultivar in the intermedia forms. It would be fair to say that all of the hybrids have showier flowers, more interesting colors and stronger fragrance (in most cases) than the native vernal witch hazel.

The hybrids are worthless to me as they don't have reliable fall color. Broken arrow nursery said the same thing.

Vernal Witch Hazel is much more consistent. I haven't noticed the hybrid flowers being showier or more interesting than vernal either. In some cases they are larger which could translate into showier.

whaas: Interesting that you don't have reliable fall color in the hybrids. That certainly is not true here except in rare years that a deep frost crisps the leaves before they have fully turned. H. vernalis is usually an undistinguished chartruse color,only rarely deep yellow.

Hybrid forms are expensive because they are budded/grafted and are naturally slow growing. Vernalis grown from seed will always be cheaper, but you have no way of knowing what the plant is going to look like in future years - may be great, may be decidedly mediocre.

Rarefind Nursery has an excellent selection with good color pictures online. Hybrid colors include yellow, red, purple, copper, two tone. Perhaps they exist, but I have never seen a specimen of H.vernalis with flowers as large as nearly all the hybrid forms.

Are you comparing asian hybrids to seedling selections of H. vernalis?

I could understand from that perspective. I was mostly referring to the cultivars of H. vernalis.

The asian hybrids I had, while they survived, where a mixed bag. The only consistent vibrant cultivar I had was 'Girard's Purple'. However it was questionable as to whether it really was a H. mollis and japonica hybrid.

My Jelena refused to get fall color. My Arnold Promise was questionable. When discussing fall color with Broken Arrow Nursery they said the Asian hybrids are a mixed bag based upon the H. mollis parentage. Thats when they turned me onto H. vernalis. Sure enough there are quite a few that have a range of stunning fall color and guess what, more hardy!!!

My 'Kohankie Red' put Fothergilla to shame this year!

I have a unnamed H. vernalis and one struggling H. x intermedia 'Diane', and the H. virginiana grow wild and so there are zillions of them.

As far as color here, the H. virigniana is a beautiful clear yellow, and the best ones bloom after the leaves have fallen with relatively large yellow flowers, but no perceptible scent to me. The winter silhouette is quite nice. I really like them.

My H. x intermedia (struggling since we are at or perhaps past its northern limit) has a consistently gorgeous orange/yellow/red mix of foliage color and deep red-orange spring flowers that stand out against the remaining snow. Color is a bit too blue in this photo.
H. x intermedia 'Diane'
{{gwi:2120199}}From garden photos 07

If H. intermedia were hardier or my area warmer, I would plant many of these, and I may plant more, hoping to find some that are a bit hardier. Fall color may depend on the soil (mine is acid fine sandy loam) or some other factor, IDK.
Here's a yellow H. x intermedia (not mine, but at the airport 35 miles south of me - different microclimate) pruned to tree form.
{{gwi:2120200}}From witch hazels

My H. vernalis is the least attractive of the bunch.
{{gwi:2120204}}From garden photos 07

Flowers are tiny (to compare this photo with 'Diane' above, realize that the base holding the petals is almost twice as large for 'Diane' as for the vernal witch hazel) and pale reddish orange from a distance, though en mass they do show against the evergreens behind them. I haven't found the scent particularly attractive, sort of like cheap soap. It also tends to keep almost half its leaves, though I may try to remove some of them once they are thoroughly dry this winter. No appreciable fall color. Even though I live on an old farm and actively garden on a couple of acres, I wouldn't waste the space or money on another of these. Perhaps some named varieties would be better or you will have better luck with your seedlings than I.
Blooming H. vernalis (yes it needs pruning)
{{gwi:2120205}}From witch hazels

H. vernalis fall color
{{gwi:2120206}}From witch hazels

So my order of preference is
H. x intermedia (assuming finding one hardy enough to grow well here)
H. virginiana
H. vernalis
YMMV

This post was edited by nhbabs on Sun, Dec 7, 14 at 11:01

There's reasons the vast majority of named cultivars belongs to H. x intermedia.

Significant comparisons of personal experiences on a plant-by-plant basis depends on everyone using correctly identified specimens as examples in all instances.

whaas: I know there are other cultivars of h. vernalis, but the only selection I've seen or which seems to be widely available is 'Sandra'.

Coincindental that you mentioned the x intermedia forms 'Jelena' and 'Arnold Promise'. I've grown 'Jelena' for many years and it has unfailingly produced bright orange yellow color. A neighbor has a huge specimen of 'Arnold Promise'. Good color every fall, more yellow and less orange than 'Jelena'. The Coastal Maine Botanic garden has many additional varieties. 'Diane' was especially spectacular this fall, but the rest all exhibited good color as well. The people at Broken Arrow are probably correct in a general way, but for many cultivars climate and soil would seem to be more of an issue than genetic inheritance from h. mollis.

" That certainly is not true here except in rare years that a deep frost crisps the leaves before they have fully turned."

Yes, they always have good fall color well for me, too. I have Jelena and one of the red-flowered dutch hybrids. I prefer the flowers of Jelena. The fragrance of both is a bit disappointing but Jelena is better. I think the yellow hybrids generally have the strongest fragrance.

nhbabs, try a cultivar of H. vernalis. Personally I think its unfair to compare a selected hybrid cultivar against an unnamed selection. Generally the flowers on H. vernalis are smaller but some are prolific.

I guess I'm pushing H. vernalis as the selected cultivars aren't as well known. The plants are hardier and tend (even though you guys are seeing good color on the hybrid) to have consistent fall color.

Here is a list of cutlviars that have a range of red, orange, yellow and burgundy fall color. Who would have thought?

'Amethyst'
'Autumn Joy'
Purple Ribbons'
'Kohankie Red'
Grape Fizz
'Rose Lyric'
Harvest Gold
Woodland Joy
Spring Bounty
Orange Sunrise
Autumn Embers
'Sandra'
Quasimodo (dwarf, not sure about color)