Check these links see if they answer any of your questions:

Hamamelis virginiana
Hamamelis vernalis

If your tree would have been deciduous, I would've said go for it.

But with evergreens it depends how much the spot you've got in mind receives sunlight. If it is more than 3-4 hrs a day it should be fine, exposure wise....

There's so much conflicting info out there...hard to decide! I think the consensus is that h. mollis has the best scent so I'm leaning that way.

I went to some garden centres & they had a few in bloom. The strongest scent was 'Arnold's Promise' but I wasn't sure if I liked it. It wasn't a gardenia or daphne 'wow that smells gorgeous!' reaction. I hope a mollis will smell nicer but couldn't find one available. I think I will order h. mollis 'Boskoop' based on what I read about its scent & growth habit. A leap of faith!

As a side note, there were some lovely fragrant orchids in the hothouse. So tempting after seeing all the great photos posted here, but I'm afraid I'll kill it as I'm not very reliable with indoor plants :(

You're right, H. mollis is the most fragrant and it should be ok in part
shade. It's always great to get something you always would have wanted! I'm now getting tempted myself ;-)

If you're intrigued by orchids, try William Cullina's, Understanding Orchids.
It is a fun read and you'll know right away which type will suit you.

Maggie did you get your Hamamelis finally?

Yes I planted h. mollis 'Boskoop' last fall However, it was just a little twig so no flowers this spring. It's in dry shade so I'm sure it's just trying hard to stay alive right now

Thanks for the update. Hope it survives and dazzles you next spring :-)

Me too! I've seen a few hammelis around town, and every time I sniff to check out the fragrance only to be disappointed. Time will tell...

The only "intensely" fragrant one, is Boskoop...