Fothergillaspp.
Fothergilla , Fothergillaspp . , is a woody bush in the Hamamelidaceae or jinx hazel family beseem to cultivation USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8 .
It flower in early spring , infusing garden with a honey - sweet fragrance .
We link to vendors to help you discover relevant mathematical product . If you buy from one of our links , we may earn a commission .
Photo by Daderot, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.
In the summertime , leathery dark green foliation provides a rich backdrop to annuals and perennials .
It lights up the fall landscape painting with orange , red , purple , and white-livered leaf for a striking end - of - time of year showing .
Read on for all you need to know to cultivate witch alder in your outdoor sustenance space .
Photo by Daderot, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
Let ’s start with a spot of backdrop .
Cultivation and History
Fothergilla is aboriginal to the southerly United States . It was named for British Dr. and plant collector John Fothergill , who brought American coinage to England during the 18th century .
bush have a clopping shape with attractively zigzag branches and dark green to blue - green , leathery leaf with deep rooftree .
The shrubs are monoicous , which mean they produce both virile and female flower and these are combined in the same inflorescence .
The distaff flower are nondescript , while the male peak are pollinator magnets . They have petal - less , creamy clean stamens that resemble bottle brushes with a dearest - alike sweetness , that bloom for two to three weeks in fountain .
late research has confirmed four distinguishable species within the genus :
The three dwarf metal money are so similar that many horticulturists consider them to be variation ofF. gardeniiand refer to these plant just as “ dwarf ” or “ large ” witch alder .
F. gardeniiandF. majorare the two you are most potential to find when shop for shrubs .
Alabama fothergilla was previously sort as a distinct species , F. monticola , but it is now view to beF. major .
Dwarf metal money and cultivated varieties are best suited to Zones 5 to 8 . They grow to mature dimension of 18 to 36 inches tall and 24 to 48 inches wide .
development is thickset and bushy , the flowers come out before the foliage , and the leaves have symmetrical base .
big types grow best in Zones 4 to 8 , reaching six to 10 feet improbable with a breadth of five to nine feet .
They have an upright piano , spreading maturation habit , and blossom at the same prison term the leave of absence go forth . The leaves are larger than those of the gnome metal money , and the bases are asymmetrical .
There are also hybrid kind classified asFothergillaxintermedia .
In add-on to the species refer , fossilized specimens of two US metal money , F. malloryiandF. praeolata , and others in China and Japan indicate that theFothergillagenus dates back million of twelvemonth .
This suggests an environmental resiliency likely creditworthy for its exemplary pest and disease resistance , and desirability as a commercial-grade and place landscape bush .
Fothergilla Propagation
There are a couple of ways to propagate your own witch alder shrub , include from press clipping and by transplanting greenhouse start . Starting from seed is not recommended for dwelling house growers .
permit ’s take a aspect at each of these .
From Seed
Fothergilla scatter seed in a missile fashion at time of year ’s end .
Collected seeds are difficult to sprout as they require both scarification to weaken the ejaculate coating and frigid - stratification to set up the seed for germination .
It can take between nine and 15 months for seeds to germinate .
Also , seeds from crossbreed and other cultivated variety show may not be workable . If they are , they wo n’t produce true replication of the parent plants .
To clone a favored , take piano stem or sucker cuttings .
From Sucker Cuttings
Suckers are babe plants that issue from the crown beside the parent in the give .
Without pruning , suckers create a colony of bush , which may be suitable if you ’re growing witch alder forprivacy hedging .
To remove a sucker for propagation , choose one that is at least four inches tall .
utilise healthful shear to sever it flawlessly at its base , take care not to damage neighboring flora tissue or pass on scraggy edges that may call for pest and pathogen .
Recut the stem just below the low leafage node , a instinctive development breaker point .
Dip the cut of meat end into rooting hormone gunpowder .
Place the theme in a four - in seed dispatcher pot occupy three - twenty-five percent full of potting soil at a depth just below the lowest remaining folio .
If there is crest foliation in addition to the lowest leaf , pinch off the newest growth at the tip .
Put the pot in bright , collateral sunlight and keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged .
New leave-taking mean the successful establishment of theme and eagerness for transplant .
From Softwood Stem Cuttings
To take a deal prow cutting :
Cut a four - inch length of cushy , immature stem just below a folio or foliage node . The stem should be long enough that it has several foliage nodes .
Pinch or snip off the lowest leaf and the lead increment , then dip the trimmed end of the root word into rooting hormone powder .
enclose the duck shank into a four - inch seed freshman pot three - one-fourth full of potting mass medium to a depth just below the lowest leaf .
Moisten the grunge and keep it equally moist during establishment . Place the pot in shining , collateral sunshine .
When raw growth seem , transplant the cutting to the garden before summer ’s closing to give it time to set up before the first frost .
Some gardener also take greenwood cuttings a little later on in the summertime , but if there is n’t enough time for the press cutting to root and spring up leaf before first frost , you ’ll have to store the peck indoors for the winter and set them out the following leaping .
Transplanting
When transferring a seedling , rooted cutting , or nursery plant to the garden , you need to fix it slenderly high than the ground point to help excess water overflow .
To plant , function the soil to a depth of 12 inches and at least twice as wide as the root nut until it is crumbly and free from debris and rocks .
Amend with compost as needed to acidify the growing environment .
Elevate transplants slightly above ground level . This type of mounding sets the cap , where the roots and staunch encounter , high to ensure the enough drainage fothergilla requires .
Backfill and tamp down firmly . Water well and tamp again to puncture air pocket .
Keep the Modern lead off evenly moist but not waterlogged until they become established . newfangled foliar ontogeny signifies winner .
How to Grow Fothergilla
F. majorandF. gardeniiprefer full sun to partial shade and organically fertile , slightly acidulent to neutral soil with a pH of 5.0 to 7.0 .
bear a soil testas needed to determine the growing condition in your garden .
Moisture needs are moderate , and once established , these shrubs have above average drouth allowance .
During establishment , maintain even moisture without oversaturation and then supplyan inch of water per weekin the absence seizure of rain .
If you are growing multiple standalone bush , take note the bear mature breadth and leave enough space between specimen to achieve it .
For hedges , confining planting meliorate tightness , but the center of each plant should be at least 12 to 24 inches aside to avoid root crowding .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
In early spring , remove suckers that rise around the bush per the book of instructions in the propagation section above , unless you need to boost the shrubs to take on a multi - branch shape and colonise the arena .
rectify the garden grunge with an acidiccompost , such as pine bark or chopped leaves , to enrich and acidify it .
Fertilize once or twice in the outpouring with an acidifier , like Holly - Tone , per package instructions .
Espoma Holly - Tone
Holly Tone has a 4 - 3 - 4 NPK ( nitrogen , Lucifer , K ) proportion . It is constitutive and breaks down by nature , infuse territory with food and acidity .
Holly Tone isavailable from Espoma via Amazon .
After the prime finish bloom , prune branches as want to remove dead material , shape , or shorten . For instructions , see ourguide to pruning shrubs and woody industrial plant .
Fothergilla Cultivars to Select
When select species and cultivar , consider growing geographical zone , sizing , summer and capitulation leafage color , and any highlights noted in industrial plant descriptions .
Here are some options to consider :
Blue Shadow
F. major‘Blue Shadow ’ is a naturalize tall variety with matured dimensions of five to six foot marvellous and wide .
‘ risque Shadow ’
The spring and summer leafage is a striking drab - green that shadow to orange , cherry-red , and yellow in autumn .
F. major‘Blue Shadow ’ isavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Dwarf Fothergilla
DwarfF. gardeniihas dark greenish foliage , clean blossoms , and prominent declination yellows , Red , and orange . It grows up to three feet tall and wide .
It is the full-strength specie found in the wilds of the southern United States .
DwarfF. gardeniiis available from DAS Farmsvia Amazon . Plants are one- to two - feet - tall in one - gallon pots with soilless media for transportation .
Mount Airy
F. major‘Mount Airy ’ is a tall cultivar that prefer full sun and matures to a tiptop of five to six foot with a spread of four to five foot .
‘ Mount Airy ’
Its leathered green foliation shades to blue - gray in the summer and bursts into orange , regal , scarlet , and yellow in the fall .
F. major‘Mount Airy ’ isavailable from Nature Hills Nurseryin # 3 containers .
Managing Pests and Disease
While not prostrate to pests or disease , witch alder may fall victim to either or both if weakened by poor growing conditions , such as an iron inadequacy causing greensick or yellowish parting .
The master disease of business is Pseudocercospora folio spot cause by the fungal pathogenPseudocercospora fothergillae .
symptom admit browned spotting , leafage John M. Browning , and folio drop . Environmental strain and oversaturated conditions favour fungal development .
There are no serious gadfly effect associated with plant life in theFothergillagenus .
Best Uses for Fothergilla
The height of the shrubs you take helps determine their respectable landscape placements .
Tall mintage and cultivars make splendid privateness hedge , particularly if you allow the sucker to remain in position to create density .
midget types are suit to dispirited - visibility hedging , foundation placements , mixed shrub grouping , garden bed and moulding , and standalone specimen positions .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
A Four-Season Shrub
Fothergilla is a low - sustentation bush for full sun to part spectre positioning with rich , moist , well - draining soil .
In the spring , it wakes gardens up with creamy , dear - scented bottle skirmish flush , followed by summertime ’s high textured blue to juicy - green leafage .
In the fall cheer , orange , violet , red-faced , and lily-livered illumination up , follow by a winterscape of everlasting zigzagging branches and the hope of outflow ’s return .
It ’s fourth dimension to tally fothergilla to yourgarden plannerfor a bush that reward with class - circular garden appeal .
If you found this raise guide informatory and want toread about more leap - bloom shrubs , we commend the accompany articles next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more point . Product photo via DAS Farms , Espoma , and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Nan Schiller
