The only bright spot after the election . . .

is in the garden. The witch hazel is covered with yellow flowers which are visible from inside the house now that it's lost its leaves.Though I would not call myself a native plant aficionado, I do grow our North American native witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana. 

The native species is totally hardy here (USDA Zones 3-8) and has never had a pest or failed to blossom in all the years since I planted it in 1998.

It is particularly spectacular this autumn, first covered with yellow leaves and now covered in clumps of flowers like yellow streamers. 

I have two witch hazels, each growing at the foot of the trunk of a 60-year-old silver maple tree in dry, moderately shady conditions. 

In these pictures you can see their companions — Acer pseudosieboldiana and A. triflorum — still have all their leaves, though they've faded from their earlier screaming red. 

These trees hold their leaves throughout the winter, making a bold contrast in the garden once other deciduous trees and shrubs are bare.

It's windy and rainy out at the moments so the last of the bright leaves will just be a memory by next week.

Comments

[Erin @ The Impatient Gardener]

Beautiful. (And sadly, such a true headline.)

[rusty duck]

Oh, just beautiful. What a treat.

[Les]

I hope your witch hazel has been able to distract you from Tuesday's results. I had been expecting the results, because I know that few people beyond the die-hard would be voting. The lack of participation is shameful.