witch hazel

A week or so ago I went for a walk at the Morris Arboretum on a day with lovely weather, when it had warmed up just enough to make a winter walk delightful. I came around a bend in the path and encountered a cloudy vision of yellow - a witch hazel in full bloom. It's not the best picture, but mind you I took it with my cell phone. This closeup didn't come out too bad: Isn't that pretty? Witch hazel blossoms are such amazing things. And yet -why, why, why, I wondered, why is the Morris Arboretum's witch hazel in such a glory of bloom, while the best my witch hazel can do is produce a few…