Fothergilla
Fothergilla × intermedia
Family Hamamelidaceae
Fothergilla is the connoisseur's native shrub hiding in plain sight — honey-scented white bottlebrush blooms in spring, and a fall display of orange, red, and gold that often plays across a single leaf. Twice a year it outshines shrubs far more common.
Slow, tidy, and untroubled by disease, it stays three to six feet, feeds early bees, and is the classic guilt-free swap for invasive burning bush. It settles happily among azaleas in moist, acid ground. Quietly excellent things deserve buyers — give this one the spot by the path.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Slow growth
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing fothergilla? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries fothergilla — Fothergilla intermedia, print Nº 190, “Fothergilla.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what fothergilla actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-8Fothergilla · Common problems
Common fothergilla problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Fothergilla · Growing & propagation
Growing fothergilla
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
Best fall color in sun
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Acid, moist, humusy · pH 5.0 - 6.0
Fertilizer- Light acid feed
Pruning- After flowering (rarely needed)
Almost none — naturally tidy. Suckers can be removed.
Spacing- 3-5 ft
How to plant & propagate fothergilla
- Propagate
- Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering
Fothergilla · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Fothergilla · Yearly calendar
The fothergilla year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomMarch to May
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Fothergilla · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Fothergilla × intermedia
Fothergilla in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What fothergilla is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxic
Use- Fall color
- Use
- Native shrub
- Use
- Spring fragrance
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Fothergilla · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a fothergilla variety
'Mount Airy' (the reliable standard); 'Blue Shadow' (blue foliage); dwarf 'Gardenii'
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Fothergilla
Fothergilla × intermedia
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Fothergilla × intermedia
- Plant family
- Hamamelidaceae
- Growth habit
- Shrub · Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- FOTHE
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Fothergilla questions, answered straight.
Is fothergilla safe for kids and pets?
Fothergilla is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate fothergilla?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Elsewhere
Where fothergilla sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia