Fothergilla gardenii (coastal)

Witch-Alder F. gardenii (coastal form) (Fothergilla) is the Atlantic coastal-plain dwarf witch-alder. Small-scale 2-4 ft shrub with fragrant honey-scented white bottlebrush flowers before leafout and outstanding red-orange-yellow fall color. The two parent species, F. gardenii and F. major, are native to the southeastern US. F. gardenii to the Atlantic Coastal Plain from North Carolina to Florida and Alabama, and F. major to the Southern Appalachian mountains. Fothergilla is not native to Oregon or the Pacific Northwest, but its modest scale, early-spring fragrance, and spectacular fall color have made it a favorite for acidic shade-edge beds in PNW gardens.

In early to mid spring, before the leaves emerge, the bare branches fill with fragrant honey-scented white bottlebrush flower spikes that feed early-season bees, native mining bees, and queen bumblebees during an otherwise-sparse nectar stretch. In autumn the rounded blue-green leaves ignite into an overlapping layered mix of yellow, orange, and red, often on the same branch. The defining feature of the genus.

Full sun to part shade. Prefers acidic, moist, well-drained soil of the same kind that suits rhododendrons and blueberries. Slow-growing and exceptionally well-behaved, reaching 2-4 ft over many years. Hardy Zones 5-8. Deer-resistant.

Pairs with Rhododendron occidentale, Vaccinium ovatum, Gaultheria shallon, and Polystichum munitum for a layered acidic-shade bed with spring fragrance and dramatic fall color.