Mt. Airy Fothergilla

Fothergilla major 'Mt. Airy'

Mt. Airy fothergilla might be the best all-around native shrub for a mixed border. In April, white bottle-brush flowers with a honey-sweet fragrance cover the bare stems before leaves emerge. The bees find it immediately. Then through the summer, the blue-green textured foliage fills in. Come fall, 'Mt. Airy' puts on one of the most reliable color shows of any shrub in the trade. orange, yellow, and red all on the same plant at the same time, often for weeks. This cultivar stays in the four-to-six-foot range and is notably more adaptable to average garden soils than the straight species. It doesn't need acidic bog conditions to thrive, which makes it far more usable than many natives in the Ericaceae. Deer leave it alone. Pest and disease problems are essentially nonexistent.