Methinks many will know what kind of tree this is from. This warm sunshine really makes things happen.
Love the witch hazel. Wish it would survive here. In my opinion, nothing smells nicer. Do you have several different colors? I've seen three different varieties. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
Looks like the flowers I get on my Acer saccharum, sugar maple. Mine just dropped its flowers last week.
Have to admit I thought all would get this one right. It is simply soft maple. Yes, in a maple syrup jug. It is not quite as sweet as hard maple but will still make syrup; have to boil it a bit longer. I can see why you might think of this as witch hazel but remember that witch hazel flowers in the fall rather than spring. Darn, I thought I had some pictures of witch hazel flowering in the fall but can't find them. I'll try to remember this fall to take some pictures. In addition, some time this summer we'll be cutting some witch hazel by our driveway so I'll get some pictures then.
The witch hazel at Pepsi Gardens flowers in February, the very first plant to flower in the spring?????I used to love walking there, and always looked forward to the spring. Looked high and low for one that would survive here, but none will. I never saw one flower in the autumn. Funny.
Dennis is correct about the witch hazel flowering in the fall. This is the native witch hazel. There may be some weird ornamental varieties that have different flowering times.
Maybe it flowers at a different time on the East coast. These are native witch hazels, and they definitely flower at Pepsi Gardens in February. If I remember correctly, the orange blossomed one first, followed by the others within a few days. So, looked it up. There are two native witch hazels, virginiania and vernalis. Vernalis, as the name implies, is one of the earliest blooming shrubs, blooming in January to February.