Scientific Name:
Fothergilla major
Pronunciation:
fah-thur-GILL-uh MAY-jur
Common Name:
fothergilla, witch alder
Family Name:
Hamamelidaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, most blades ovate-elliptical, 6-9cm long x 5-7cm wide, with rippled margin and shallow teeth towards apex, may have slightly pubescent undersides; raceme of white to pink-tinged bottlebrush-like flowers in May; axillary buds protected by off-white stipule. Winter ID: buds stalked, fuzzy, flower buds larger and more rounded.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
U.S. - southeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
High
Landscape Uses:
Mixed shrub border, Small garden/space, Spring interest, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Surfaces:
Lustrous, Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Yellow, Orange, Red
Shapes:
Obovate
Apices:
Obtuse
Bases:
Oblique (uneven), Rounded
Margins:
Dentate
Additional Info:
Spectacular fall colour, only upper halp of leafes toothed, leaf hairs on underside veins
Inflorescence Type:
Spike
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White (may be pink-tinged)
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Additional Info:
apetalous; long white stamens with yellow anthers
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Fruiting Time:
Aug
Additional Info:
Not showy, beaked
Bark Morphology:
Smooth, Multi-stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid, Stalked
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Propagation:
Seed
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
