# Fothergilla

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***Fothergilla*** (**witch alder**) is a [genus](/source/Genus) of two to four species of [flowering plants](/source/Flowering_plant) in the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Hamamelidaceae](/source/Hamamelidaceae), [native](/source/Native_plant) to woodland and swamps of the southeastern United States.

They are low-growing [deciduous](/source/Deciduous) [shrubs](/source/Shrub) growing to 1–3 m (3–10 ft) tall with downy twigs. The brush-like [flowers](/source/Flower) are produced before the leaves in spring on terminal spikes; they do not have any petals, but a conspicuous cluster of white stamens 2–3 cm long. The [leaves](/source/Leaf) are alternate, broad ovoid, 4–10 cm long and 3–8 cm broad, with a coarsely toothed margin; they are noted for their brilliant orange or red fall colors.[1]

## Species

Four species are accepted.[2][3]

- *[Fothergilla gardenii](/source/Fothergilla_gardenii)* L. – dwarf witch alder
- †*[Fothergilla malloryi](/source/Fothergilla_malloryi)* (Extinct, [Ypresian](/source/Ypresian), Klondike Mountain Formation)[4][5]
- *[Fothergilla latifolia](/source/Fothergilla_latifolia)* J.F.Mill. (synonyms *F. major* (Sims) Sweet and *F. monticola* Ashe) – large witch alder
- *[Fothergilla milleri](/source/Fothergilla_milleri)* W.D.Phillips & J.E.Haynes
- *[Fothergilla parvifolia](/source/Fothergilla_parvifolia)* Kearney

## Etymology

The genus was named in honor of the English physician and plant collector Dr. [John Fothergill](/source/John_Fothergill_(physician)) (1712-1780) of Stratford, [Essex](/source/Essex), who was known for introducing American plants to Britain.[6]

## Cultivation and uses

Fothergillas are grown as [ornamental plants](/source/Ornamental_plant) for their spring flowers and fall foliage color. They are slow-growing, rarely exceeding 1–2 m tall in cultivation. The [hybrid](/source/Hybrid_(biology)#In_plants) [cultivar](/source/Cultivar) *Fothergilla* × *intermedia* 'Mount Airy' has gained the [Royal Horticultural Society](/source/Royal_Horticultural_Society)'s [Award of Garden Merit](/source/Award_of_Garden_Merit).[7]

## References

1. *RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants*. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.

1. ["*Fothergilla* L."](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30049408-2). *[Plants of the World Online](/source/Plants_of_the_World_Online)*. [Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](/source/Royal_Botanic_Gardens,_Kew). Retrieved 27 October 2025.

1. Haynes, Jake E.; Phillips, Whitney D.; Krings, Alexander; Lynch, Nathan P.; Ranney, Thomas G. (2020). "Revision of *Fothergilla* (Hamamelidaceae), including resurrection of *F. parvifolia* and a new species, *F. milleri*". *PhytoKeys*. '***(144): 57–80. [doi:10.3897/phytokeys.144.49589](https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.144.49589). [PMC 7093572](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7093572). [PMID 32231461](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32231461)***

1. Meghan G. Radtke; Kathleen B. Pigg; Wesley C. Wehr (2005), "Fossil *Corylopsis* and *Fothergilla* Leaves (Hamamelidaceae) from the Lower Eocene Flora of Republic, Washington, U.S.A., and Their Evolutionary and Biogeographic Significance", *International Journal of Plant Sciences*. **166** (2): 347, [doi:10.1086/427483](https://doi.org/10.1086/427483). [S2CID 20215269](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:20215269)

1. Jianhua Li and [Peter Del Tredici](/source/Peter_Del_Tredici) (2008), ["The Chinese Parrotia: A Sibling Species of the Persian Parrotia"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100803210228/http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/1902.pdf), *Arnoldia*. **66** (1): 5, [ISSN 0004-2633](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0004-2633), archived from [the original](http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/1902.pdf) on 2010-08-03, retrieved 2009-06-01

1. Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521866453 (hardback), ISBN 9780521685535 (paperback). pp 169

1. ["Fothergilla × intermedia 'Mount Airy'"](https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/279516/Fothergilla-x-intermedia-Mount-Airy/Details). *www.rhs.org*. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 5 July 2020.

## External links

- [*Fothergilla major* images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu](https://web.archive.org/web/20080407104618/http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/foma.htm)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fothergilla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fothergilla) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fothergilla?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.