SafePlants

Fothergilla (Witch Alder)

Fothergilla, commonly known as witch alder, is a genus comprised of two or three species of flowering plants within the family Hamamelidaceae.

Considerations for Pets

• Genus Fothergilla are rounded deciduous shrubs.

Scientific Classification

• Scientific Name: Fothergilla
• Common Names: Witch Alder, Witch-alder
• Family: Hamamelidaceae (Witch-Hazel Family)
• Synonyms: Fothergilla gardenii, Fothergilla major

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to woodland and swamps of the southeastern U.S.
• Fothergilla major (Mountain Witch Alder) is native to mountain woods and ravines.
• Fothergilla gardenii is also called the coastal witch-alder, hinting that it likes a moister soil.

Morphological Characteristics

• Deciduous shrubs.
• Rounded form.
• Broadly ovate leaves that often color well in autumn, turning brilliant shades of orange to crimson.
• Small, catkin-like spikes of white, sweetly scented, bottlebrush flowers in spring.
• Fothergilla major (Mountain Witch Alder) is a 6-12 ft shrub with crooked, multiple stems and dense, dark blue-green leaves.
• Fothergilla gardenii is typically a small deciduous shrub 3 to 4 feet tall.

Cultivation

• Grow in a humus-rich, moist but well-drained acid soil in sun or shade.
• Plant near evergreens so the fallen needles provide the acidity in the soil that this shrub likes.
• Suitable as an understory shrub, especially in moist soils and shady woodland situations.
• Native plant likes at list 2-3 hs of sun. It is a good sce of nectar for insects.

Quirky Facts

• One popular fothergilla cultivar was found as a bud sport on a young plant of Fothergilla major 'Mt Airy', noticed because the leaves are sky blue!
• Before leaves emerge, Witchalder is covered with white, sweetly scented, bottlebrush flowers on the branch ends.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• The flowers are a good source of nectar for insects.