Position – Full sun or part shade
Soil – Moist, well-drained
Flowering Period – Spring and summer
Hardiness – Fully hardy
Fothergilla are deciduous shrubs with dark green and ovate foliage which often produces fragrant and intriguingly shaped bottle-brush or cylindrical flowers throughout spring and summer. In autumn, you should expect to see the foliage change to exquisite shades of red, orange and yellow. Fothergilla are best suited to flower beds and borders within cottage and informal garden settings. You should expect to see your shrubs grow to an approximate height of 2-2.5m (6.5-8’) and a spread of 1-1.5m (3-5’).
Fothergilla are best planted in moist, well-drained soil of loam, clay and sand within an acidic PH balance. Plant Fothergilla to the same depth and width as the root ball and water thoroughly to settle in place. The soil should be kept moist until they are better established. After planting, you may wish to apply a generous layer of mulch to protect your plant and retain moisture levels at the base.
In late winter to early spring, you should remove old, dead or diseased branches to retain a healthy and tidy structure. Once any pruning is undertaken you can apply a layer of mulch to hold moisture and suppress weeds. Water Fothergilla regularly to keep the soil moist, especially during periods of drought.
It is possible to propagate Fothergilla by softwood cuttings or layering during the summer.
