Plant Characteristics
- Zone: 5-9
- Height: 2-3'
- Spread: to 3'
- Bloom: White
- Bloom Time: Summer- late Fall
- Wonderful fall colors of orange, red, and yellow
Fothergilla gardenii, commonly known as dwarf fothergilla or coastal
fothergilla, is a slow-growing, deciduous, dwarf ornamental shrub that
is native to moist lowland coastal plain bogs and savannahs in the
southeastern U.S. from North Carolina to the Florida panhandle and
Alabama. It is a compact, slow-growing, mounded, deciduous shrub that
typically grows 2-3’ tall and as wide. Apetalous flowers in dense terminal
bottlebrush-like spikes (to 1-2" long) bloom in spring (April-early May)
before the leaves appear. Only the male flowers have color
(showy white filaments and yellow anthers). Flowers are aromatic.
Thick, pubescent, oblong to obovate, blue-green to green leaves
(to 2 1/2" long) have marginal teeth from mid point to leaf apex
and are rounded at the base. Leaves turn often brilliant shades of
yellow, orange and red in fall.