Dwarf fothergilla

Dwarf fothergilla: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Compact, rounded shrub with dense, upright twigs, about 1 m tall and wide; slow-growing.

Leaves

Obovate, 3–6 cm, coarsely toothed towards the tip; blue-green in summer, yellow, orange, red and purple in autumn.

Flowers

White, bottlebrush-like spikes of 3–5 cm in April–May, just before or with the leaves. They are made of stamens, without petals.

Scent

Sweet and honey-like; best on a mild, sunny day.

Roots

Fine and fairly shallow; they like cool, moist, humus-rich soil. Over time the shrub slowly spreads by suckers.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: March–April and October–November

Why grow it?

• Two highlights: fragrant white flower spikes in spring and some of the brightest autumn colour of any shrub.
• Stays small and compact: ideal for a small garden or the front of a border of acid-loving plants.
• The flowers attract bees and bumblebees in April–May.
• A fine partner for rhododendrons, azaleas and heathers, which need the same acid soil.
• Little work and few diseases: no pruning needed.

Dwarf fothergilla: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; in sun it flowers more freely and the autumn colour is brightest.
• Acid, humus-rich soil is a must: sand, loam or peat, with no lime.
• Moist to wet soil that does not dry out in summer; it copes well with a slightly wetter spot.
• Plant 80–100 cm apart, or in a group of three for more impact.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or peat

Acidity

Acid

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

1 m tall, 1 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Rhododendron: Needs the same acid, moist soil and flowers just after the fothergilla.
• Heather: Low, evergreen cushions at the foot of the shrub.
• Pieris: Red young leaves and white flower sprays in spring, on the same acid soil.
• Blueberry: Also acid-loving, with red autumn colour and tasty berries.
• Ferns: A cool, green underplanting in partial shade.

Dwarf fothergilla: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November, when the soil is not frozen.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in acidic leaf mould or ericaceous compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Leave 80–100 cm between it and other shrubs.
5. Water in thoroughly straight away, preferably with rainwater.
6. Mulch with pine needles, composted bark or leaf mould.

Care

Watering

Keep the soil moist, especially in the first year and in dry summers. Use rainwater if you can: hard tap water makes the soil less acidic.

Feeding

A little leaf mould or organic ericaceous fertiliser in April. Nothing more is needed.

Mulching

A layer of pine needles or leaf mould every spring keeps the roots cool and moist.

Suckers

To keep the shrub within bounds, now and then dig out a sucker at the edge.

Moving

Best avoided: it grows slowly and needs time to re-establish.

Tip: Put it where you will see it well in autumn: the colour is brightest in sun. Always water with rainwater, never hard tap water.

Dwarf fothergilla: when to prune it?

When: No pruning is needed: it grows slowly and naturally forms a neat, rounded shrub. At most, remove a dead branch after flowering, in May–June.

How:

• Only remove dead, damaged or crossing branches, back to a healthy side shoot.
• Do not prune in winter or early spring: the flower buds are already sitting at the tips of the twigs.
• Rejuvenate an old, congested shrub by taking out one or two old stems at the base after flowering.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Layering

In spring, bury a low shoot, nick it lightly and peg it down; sever and replant after one or two years.

Suckers

In March or October, dig up a rooted sucker at the edge of the shrub and replant it elsewhere.

Softwood cuttings

In June, take 8–10 cm tip cuttings and set them in moist, acidic cutting compost under plastic. Not always successful.

Dwarf fothergilla: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• In winter the flower buds are already in place at the tips of the bare twigs.
• In a pot: use ericaceous compost, keep the pot sheltered and wrap it in hessian in severe winters.

Diseases and pests

• Yellow leaves: Yellow leaves with green veins point to lime in the soil or the water. Water with rainwater and work in acidic leaf mould.
• Brown leaf edges: A sign of drought, especially in full sun. Water generously and mulch thickly.
• Few flowers: Caused by winter pruning or deep shade. Leave the twigs alone and give more light.
• Poor autumn colour: In deep shade the leaves colour less brightly. A sunnier spot gives the best colours.

Through the year

• January: Rest. The flower buds are already in place.
• March: Plant. Apply mulch.
• April: Flowering begins, fragrant white spikes. Feed lightly.
• May: In flower, busy with bees. The leaves unfold.
• June: Take softwood cuttings. Layer a shoot.
• July: Water in dry spells, preferably with rainwater.
• August: Water in dry spells.
• October: Brilliant autumn colour. Plant.
• November: Plant. Leave fallen leaves as mulch.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The genus is named after John Fothergill, an 18th-century English physician and plant collector.
• The species name honours Alexander Garden, a Scottish physician in Charleston; the gardenia is named after him too.
• The flowers have no petals: the white tufts are the long stamens.