Fothergilla major ‘Mt. Airy’
Fothergilla, Mt. Airy fothergilla
This cultivated variety of Fothergilla is a hybrid of Fothergilla gardenii—dwarf witch fothergilla, and Fothergilla major—large fothergilla. It is not found in the wild. Fothergilla is for John Fothergill, a physician and gardener. Gardenii doesn’t mean “looks good in a garden”—it recognizes Dr. Alexander Garden, a contemporary of Fothergill’s. This variety was discovered at the Mt. Airy Arboretum in Cincinnati, OH, by Michael Dirr.
Plants: This deciduous shrub is 4–6′ (1.2–1.8 m) tall.
Leaves: Alternate, 2–5″ (5–12 cm) long, glossy, dark green, with prominent veins. They become brilliant red, orange, yellow, and purple in the fall.
Flowers: It produces numerous white flowerheads resembling bottle-brushes. Each flower spike is 1–3″ (2.5–7.6 cm) long and 1–1½″ (2.5–3.8 cm) in diameter. The brushlike filaments are white flower stamens and pale yellow anthers; there are no petals. The flowers smell a bit like honey.
Fruits: Inconspicuous green capsules.
Online References:
Autumn foliage. · 11/6/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm) 
5/29/2014 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (12 × 19 cm) 
Autumn foliage. · 11/6/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
5/30/2014 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) 
5/12/2007 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts 
Labelled Fothergilla ⨉ intermedia ‘Mt. Airy’ · 5/23/2024 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine 
Labelled Fothergilla ⨉ intermedia ‘Mt. Airy’ · 5/23/2024 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine 
6/8/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
5/14/2008 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 2 × 2′ (57 × 68 cm) 
5/12/2007 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Hamamelidae | Wind-pollinated shrubs |
| Order | Hamamelidales | Witch hazels and related plants |
| Family | Hamamelidaceae | Witch-hazels |
| Genus | Fothergilla | For English physician John Fothergill |
| Species | major | “Larger, greater” |
Fothergilla major ‘Mt. Airy’ description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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