Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.

Read about the Witch-Alders from Linda Chafin and the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society.

Learn more about Coastal Witch-alder from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

An ornamental prized for its small size and attractive fall color - though most cultivated material (even so labeled) is not this species but the hybrid F. ×intermedia, per Weakley's Flora (2023)

INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Fothergilla gardenii   FAMILY Hamamelidaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Fothergilla gardenii

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Fothergilla gardenii

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3 (1997)

Fothergilla gardenii

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 095-03-001:

Fothergilla gardenii   FAMILY Hamamelidaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Fothergilla gardeni

COMMON NAME:
Coastal Witch-alder, Pocosin Witch-alder, Dwarf Witch-alder, Fothergilla

         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_foga_001_lvd

        

JK Marlow    jkm070319_012

March    Polk County    NC

SC Native Plant Society Plant Sale

The terminal spikes are delicately scented with a sweet honey fragrance, per Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002).

JK Marlow    jkm070319_012b

March    Polk County    NC

1-2" spikes of white stamens & yellow anthers form little bottlebrushes, per Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002).

JK Marlow    jkm130420_421

April    Transylvania County    NC

In cultivation

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_f_gardenii_1b

April        

Will Stuart    wil_f_gardenii_102

April    Chesterfield County    SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

Leaves up to 6cm long and 5cm wide (the largest < 5.2cm wide), per Weakley's Flora (2015).

Will Stuart    wil_f_gardenii_102_crop

April    Chesterfield County    SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

Leaves stellate-pubescent above (vs. F. major being sparsely so or glabrous), per Weakley's Flora (2015).

Will Stuart    wil_f_gardenii_544

April    Chesterfield County    SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

JK Marlow    jkm0305v_21

May    Buncombe County    NC

NC Arboretum

'Mt. Airy' Fothergilla ×intermedia (a hybrid of tetraploid F. gardenii and hexaploid F. major).

JK Marlow    s071115_a

November    Pickens County    SC

SC Botanical Garden

Leaves reminiscent of the closely related small tree, Witch Hazel, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).

 COMPARE leaves of Hazel Alder, Hazelnut, Witch Hazel and Witch-alder

JK Marlow    s071115_a2

November    Pickens County    SC

SC Botanical Garden

Base of lateral veins marginal (vs. included in leaf tissue in Hamamelis), per Weakley's Flora (2022).

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Fothergilla gardenii   FAMILY Hamamelidaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Fothergilla gardenii   FAMILY Hamamelidaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Fothergilla gardenii

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Fothergilla gardenii

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3
Fothergilla gardenii

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 095-03-001:
Fothergilla gardenii   FAMILY Hamamelidaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Fothergilla gardeni