Dwarf Fothergilla - 'Fothergilla gardenenii' Dwarf Fothergilla is a dense compact deciduous shrub. In mid-spring, its flowers are white and resemble a bottle-brush. Fothergilla leaves are rounded and dark green, changing to brilliant yellow to orange-red in the fall. Fothergilla is an excellent shrub for the residential landscape and adds considerable color from April to October. Originally indigenous to the Allegheny Mountains from northern North Carolina and Tennessee to northern Alabama, Dwarf Fothergilla is disease free and grows between 2 and 3 ft in height and width at a slow rate.
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| Common Name: |
Dwarf Fothergilla, Dwarf Witchalder |
| Popular Varieties: |
Blue Mist, Eastern Form, F2 Hybrid, Jane Platt, Mount Airy |
| Type: |
Deciduous Shrub |
| Family: |
Hamamelidaceae |
| Sun Requirements: |
Partial Shade |
| Leaves: |
Alternate, simple, obovate to oblong, rounded or broad middle, dark green above, pale or glaucous and tomentose beneath. |
| Size: |
2 to 3 foot in height, similar or greater in spread. Some specimens have achieved between 6 and 10 feet in height. |
| Hardiness: |
Zone 4(5) to 8(9). For an idea of your plant zone please visit the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. |
| Habit: |
Small shrub with slender, crooked, often spreading branches, rounded in outline; forms a rather dense mound at maturity; suckers, some plants more so than others; and forms colonies. |
| Rate: |
Slow |
| Flowers: |
White, fragrant, actually apetalous; showy parts are the stamens (white filament, yellow anthers), borne in terminal. Flowers appear before leaves in April to early May and resemble bottle-brushes, honey-scented, lasting for 2 weeks; in some years the flowers and emerging leaves may appear together. |
| Diseases & Insects: |
Problem free. |
| Landscape Value: |
Foundation plantings, borders, masses, excellent for interesting flowers, good summer foliage and outstanding fall color; good in combination with rhododendrons and azaleas, and other ericaceous plants. |
| Soil Preference: |
Requires acidic, peaty, sandy loam and is not suitable for limy soils. |
| Care: |
Prune as desired. Fothergilla is best used in a shrub border or employed in groupings, masses, and foundation plantings. |
| Fertilization: |
Fertilize an area three times the canopy spread of the shrub 1 to 2 times a year with a 10-10-10 fertilizer. Only fertilize an established tree.
| | Planting Instructions: |
Dig a hole three times the diameter of the root system, with a depth no deeper than the original soil line on trunk. Break up the soil to the finest consistency possible. Place plant in hole and fill, compacting the fill dirt. Water the plant heavily to seal soil around the roots and remove air pockets. Water well, and remember to water regularly until they have started to grow.
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