‘Arnold Promise’ is a vase -shaped, 9- to 10-foot tall shrub that grows in sun to partial shade and is noted for its early blooms, starting in February, as soon as temperatures rise above around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Each curly, crimped yellow flower has four strap-like petals emerging from a brownish-green calyx. When temperatures drop below freezing, the petals will curl up and then open again when warmer temperatures return. Large elliptic leaves are initially a light yellowish-green, then a dark green before changing to shades of red, yellow, and orange in autumn.

Intermediate witch hazels were created by the hybridization of Hamamelis japonica (native to Japan) and Hamamelis mollis (native to western China).