Today’s photograph was taken at the botanical garden of the University of Basel. It shows the red ribbon-like petals of the witch hazel hybrid Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’.
Chinese Witch Hazel is well knownl for its intense, spicy fragrance and early, vibrant yellow or red, ribbon-like flowers that bloom on bare branches from January to March. The flowers are followed by the production of inconspicuous, green fruits that turn black when they mature.