Fothergilla gardenii, also known by the common names witch alder,Brickell, Christopher "The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z of Garden Plants (Volume 1: A-J)", 3rd ed. Copyright 1996, 2003, 2008 Dorling Kindersley Ltd., London. pp. 452-453 dwarf fothergilla,Hogan, Sean, chief consultant. 2003, 2004. "Flora A Gardener's Encyclopedia", Global Nook Publishing Pty Ltd, Timber Press. . pp. 608 American wych hazel,Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 169, 175 pocosin witchalder, and dwarf witchalder is a deciduous shrub in the Hamamelidaceae family. It is one of two species in the genus Fothergilla.
Description Type: Slow-growing deciduous shrub. Height/spread: Max height and spread is 0.9 m (3 ft) to 1 m (3 ft). Leaves: Dark green, alternate leaves emerge in spring and range in shape from oval to obovate. Sizes up to 6 cm (2.5 in) in length, with irregularly toothed margins. Striking autumn colors, including bright red, crimson, orange, and yellow. Inflorescences: Terminal cylindrical spikes to 4 cm (1.5 in) are borne in spring, before the leaves emerge. Flowers: Small, white, petal-less, highly fragrant. Conspicuous filaments are 2.5 cm (1 in) long.
Distribution Native to the southeastern USA, from North Carolina to Alabama.
Cultivation Hardiness: Fully hardy, to -29 °C (-20 °F). USDA zones 5-9. Cultivation: Prefers full sun or partial shade and humus-rich, well-drained soil which is kept moist. Full sun gives the best autumn color. Does well in woodland gardens or shrub borders. Propagation: Seed Sow seed outdoors in a cold frame or seedbed in autumn or winter. Seed typically germinates the second spring after sowing. Fresh seed works best. Cuttings Take softwood cuttings in summer and root them in a mist unit. Layering: Air Layering Air layering in summer. Simple Layering Can be propagated by layering. Pests and Diseases: Trouble free.
Cultivars The cultivar 'Blue Mist' is grown for its glaucous blue-green foliage.
Etymology Fothergilla is named for Dr. John Fothergill (1712-1780) of Stratford, Essex, a physician and introducer of American plants.
Gardenii is named for Dr. Alexander Garden (1730-1791), an Anglo-American botanist and correspondent with Carl Linnaeus.
References
Thomas G. Ranney and Nathan P. Lynch, Clarifying Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Fothergilla (Hamamelidaceae) Cultivars and Hybrids, HORTSCIENCE 42(3):470–473. 2007.