Mountain witch alder

Fothergilla major

Compact eastern North American native shrub with fragrant white bottlebrush flowers in spring before the leaves, and spectacular autumn colour in shades of yellow, orange and scarlet on a single bush.

Hardiness ratings

Mountain witch alder hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 4–8 −34.4 °C to −6.7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H6 −20 °C to −15 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 4–8 −29 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 2–5 −10 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Mixed yellow, orange and scarlet autumn colour on a single shrub — among the best autumn colour of any compact shrub
  • Honey-scented white flower spikes in April–May are a secondary spring feature
  • Needs neutral to acidic moist soil — sulks on chalk
  • Slow growing — eventually 2–3 m tall

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Mountain witch alder against your zones

Reference

Mountain witch alder on Wikipedia