Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarf Fothergilla)

A genuinely compact, multi-season shrub with confirmed deer resistance, dwarf fothergilla packs fragrant spring bloom and some of the best three-color fall foliage of any native shrub into a footprint small enough for foundation plantings and low hedges.

Species Overview

Slow-growing, Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarf Fothergilla) is a magnificent deciduous shrub that adds long-lasting beauty to the landscape during three seasons. In spring, this compact, mounded shrub gets covered with honey-scented, upright, creamy-white bottlebrush-like flowers before the leaves emerge. In fall, the foliage usually turns a glowing yellow, orange, and red, with all colors present in the same leaf.

Application

• Foundation plantings, low hedges, and shrub borders - genuinely compact mature size
• Rain garden plantings - tolerant of both wet and drier woodland sites
• Deer-pressured sites
• Pollinator and hummingbird garden plantings

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun to Part Shade - best floral and fall color display in full sun
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Moist, rich, acidic, well-drained soils; avoid heavy or poorly-drained sites
• Growth Rate: Slow
• Plant Type: Shrub
• Mature Height: 2-4 ft.
• Fall Color: Yellow, Orange, Red
• Bloom Color / Period: White; April-May
• Wetland Indicator Status: FACW (Facultative Wetland) - Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain region
• Native Range: Coastal plain of the southeastern United States, primarily North Carolina and South Carolina
• Hydrology: Mesic-Moist
• Root Depth: Moderate (12-24 in.)
• Salinity Tolerance: Low
• Drought Tolerance: Moderate
• Flood Tolerance: Moderate - Also known as pocosin witchalder for its association with pocosin wetlands of the southeastern coastal plain; tolerates periodically wet soil.
• Shade Tolerance: Intermediate
• Growth Habit: Rounded - dense, suckering, multi-stemmed
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
• Deer Resistance: Yes (Rarely Damaged)
• Pollinator Value: Supports bees, supports butterflies, supports hummingbirds

Planting Guidance

• Spreads slowly by root suckers to form colonies over time - site with room to naturalize if a spreading mass planting is desired.