Birch Leaf Spirea vs Witch Hazel - TreeTime.ca

Birch Leaf Spirea vs Witch Hazel

Spiraea betulifolia

Hamamelis virginiana

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Birch Leaf Spirea
Witch Hazel

Birch Leaf Meadowsweet is a small, rounded shrub, reaching 3 to 4 feet high.

In the early summer, white flowers emerge with dark green foliage. Come fall, birch-like leaves turn a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and purple adding seasonal interest.

Native to Japan and Eastern Asia, this dwarf shrub attracts butterflies and is an excellent option for the front row of a shrub border.

Witch Hazel is a deciduous shrub, or small tree, with a short trunk, bearing numerous spreading, crooked branches.

The seeds grow in a long, wooden pod with two to four seeds per pod. Upon ripening, the pods burst, firing the seeds up to 30km an hour.

The leaf and bark extract of Witch Hazel has been used as a remedy to common ailments such as inflammation, bruises and much more for many centuries.

Birch Leaf Spirea Quick Facts

Witch Hazel Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: long
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium


Seeds: seeds ejected to a distance of up to 30 ft
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, PE
Other Names: birch leaf meadowsweet, shiny leaf spirea, white spirea