Mt. Airy Fothergilla
Fothergilla major 'Mt. Airy'
April bottlebrush blooms with honey fragrance, then weeks of orange, yellow, and red fall color. Adaptable to average soils, and deer leave it alone.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 AM – 2 PM
Spring fragrance, summer texture, fall fireworks. one native shrub doing the work of three.
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.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown mt. airy fothergilla propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant mt. airy fothergilla instead of Burning bush (Euonymus alatus). Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 3–6 ft · 36–72 in wide
- Bloom time
- Spring
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Family
- Hamamelidaceae
- Native range
- Appalachian mountains from West Virginia to Alabama
Care notes for mt. airy fothergilla.
Part shade to full sun in moist, acidic to slightly acid, well-drained soil. More sun generally means better fall color. 'Mt. Airy' tolerates clay and average soils better than most Ericaceous shrubs. Water through the first growing season. After that, it's largely self-sufficient. Pruning is rarely necessary.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside mt. airy fothergilla.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Skyline Drive Package
This package celebrates the world renowned “Skyline Drive” by featuring native plant species encountered along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.
Piedmont Rain Garden Package
For homeowners with a yard that floods when it rains, this package is your solution! The Piedmont Swale Garden Package is comprised of flood tolerant species that will thrive in wet soils.
Exceptional Patio Garden Package
The Exceptional Patio Garden Package is a low maintenance, fool proof way to guarantee an endless color show for you and your guests to enjoy all patio season long.