Felder Rushing
Family
Hamamelidaceae
Botanical Name
Fothergilla major
Plant Common Name
Large Witchalder, Mountain Witchalder
General Description
Large witchalder is an upright shrub with pretty white flowers that appear as the new spring leaves unfurl. This slow-growing native of the southeastern United States, from Virginia and the Carolinas, boasts outstanding fall foliage in shades of gold, orange, red and purple. The bottlebrush flowers are fragrant and open in mid-spring.
Witchalder grows in full sun to dappled shade with a multi-stemmed rounded habit. In warmer areas, it will do best in a light-shade exposure. Avoid very dry, compacted soils. Its best performance is seen in peat or sandy loams with organic matter and consistent moisture. It does tolerate mildly alkaline soils well, too. The large mature size of this deciduous shrub lends its use best in back of mixed borders or as a lone specimen or small grouping with a low-growing evergreen underplanting. The hybrid cultivar 'Mount Airy' is a much smaller plant, but still larger growing than the dwarf fothergilla species.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
8 - 5
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USDA Hardiness Zone
5 - 8
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Sunset Zone
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
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Plant Type
Shrub
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
6'-10' / 1.8m - 3.0m
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Width
8'-10' / 2.4m - 3.0m
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Bloom Time
Spring
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Native To
Southeastern United States
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White, Ivory
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Fruit Color
Black
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Blue Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Yellow, Red, Purple, Orange, Gold
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Foliage Color (Fall) Modifier
Spotted/Mottled
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Bark Color
Gray
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Coarse
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
