Growing Fothergilla (Bottle Brush)

PRONUNCIATION: fah-ther-gill'-ah

White bottle brush flowers in May with a sweet honey fragrance. Rich blue-green foliage turns brilliant orange-yellow in fall. Rounded, dense shape; more upright habit of growth than some other Fothergillas. Good in foundation plantings and mixed shrub borders.

CULTURE: Full sun/part shade; moist, well-drained acid soil rich in organic matter. Space 5ft apart. Fertilize lightly in early spring with a balanced fertilizer. Seldom any problems with diseases or pests. It does tend to sucker somewhat freely. Needs minimal pruning in late winter or early spring; just remove broken or weak shoots, and any crossing branches to maintain an open framework.