Summary
Large fothergilla (Fothergilla major) is truly a multi-season deciduous garden shrub. In early spring, before the leaves emerge, it produces masses of upright, honey-scented, white bottlebrush-shaped flowers atop 6-10’ tall multi-stemmed plants. From late October into November, large fothergilla develops stunning foliage colors ranging from yellow and orange to fiery red. It performs well in sun or shade as long as soils are acidic, well-drained, and moist to dry. Large fothergilla makes an excellent shrub or woodland garden companion for mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), American asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), large-flower heartleaf (Hexastylis shuttleworthii), woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), whorled tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata), and pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides). Zones 4-8.
More Details
- Plant Type
shrub - Sun/Shade Conditions
full-sun-to-partial-shade - Foliage Character
deciduous - Soil Moisture
dry-to-moist - Flowering Period
mid-spring - Soil PH
acidic - Flower Color
white - Summer Foliage Color
green - Fall Foliage Color
orange, purple, red, yellow - Fruit/Seed Color
brown