SafePlants

Fothergilla major: Mountain Witch Alder

Fothergilla major, commonly known as Mountain Witch Alder, is a captivating deciduous shrub prized for its fragrant spring blooms and vibrant autumn foliage.

Considerations for Pets

• As a deciduous shrub, Fothergilla major sheds its leaves seasonally.

Considerations for Children

• As a deciduous shrub, Fothergilla major sheds its leaves seasonally.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
• Common Names: Mountain Witch Alder, Mountain Witchalder, Large Fothergilla, Mountain Witch-hazel
• Family: Hamamelidaceae (Witch-hazel family)

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to the southeastern United States.
• Specifically found in woodland and swamps of the Allegheny Mountains.
• Also found in the Mountains and Piedmont regions of North Carolina.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Deciduous shrub, typically growing to 6-12 feet in height, but can grow to 10 feet in the wild.
• Rounded form with broadly ovate leaves that color well in autumn.
• Produces small, catkin-like spikes of white, sweetly scented bottlebrush flowers in spring before leaves emerge.
• Densely branched and can form colonial clumps through suckering.
• Slow-growing.

Quirky Facts

• It's related to the witch-hazels.
• Holds an RHS AGM (Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit) for its superb garden performance.

Cultivation

• Prefers a humus-rich, moist but well-drained acid soil.
• Thrives in sun or partial shade.

Related Species

• Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarf Witch Alder), a similar species found in the Coastal Plain.
• Fothergilla malloryi (Extinct, Ypresian, Klondike Mountain Formation)

Further Information

• Discover Life offers resources about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Fothergilla major.