Flowering Fothergilla

Fothergilla is a relatively recent addition to the garden. When I was working on the Fall Color Project last autumn I saw the fantastic fall color of the fothergilla’s foliage and fell for it! (Is that enough F words for you?) The fuzzy springtime flowers are just a bonus since I mainly wanted it for the fall show.  They appear slowly at first then burst open all of sudden to reveal these white fuzzy flower balls. The flowers arrive before the foliage appears. 

Fothergillas are in the Hamamelidaceae family which is the witch hazel family.  They are hardy to zone five and are a native plant in the United States. I found ours at a local nursery where they had it marked for less than $5.  I planted it in the Side Border Garden which now forms our Arbor corridor. It’s hard to beat that price for a plant with three seasons of interest!

12 thoughts on “Flowering Fothergilla”

  1. Hi Dave, this is so underused yet is so easy to grow and rewarding in many ways. The flowers are honey scented and generous in numbers. It will grow nearly anywhere, sun or shade, wet, within reason, or dry. The suckers can be dug to spread it around too. The fall colors are fabulous and long lasting before the leaves fall. I wish the witchhazels produced as many flowers!
    Frances

  2. Frances,

    I think it was your post that had the Fothergilla in it I liked so much! Great advice on the suckers, you know I’m always looking for cheap and easy plants!

    Lola,

    I should work for you but I don’t know if they have it in Florida. I would plant it in a borderline sun/shade area. It’s native to the mountains of Georgia.

  3. Love my dwarf fothergilla, Dave ~ have 3 planted in front of a Kousa Dogwood in a bed of Pachysandra bedside my front walkway. Fothergilla are a favorite and very happy in my neighborhood … the spring/fall color, delightful!

  4. I love this plant! Love it’s colorful leaves in the fall and the sweet fluffs of white and yellow in spring! The leaves add a different shape all summer…gail

  5. This is on my “want list” ! And may I suggest to you a little something to go with it …a Scarlet Oak tree . (If you have space for one that is ) .Debbie

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