Ready for a Shrub-down?

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: 2021/11 – November

Highlands and Cashiers are famous for their fall foliage. In the past month we have been rewarded with surrealistic collages when brilliant hues can be seen in the trees. All of which made me wonder – is it possible to prolong the show? And what about shrubs?  

Gardeners on the Plateau are lucky – when we don’t have room to plant trees, we often have space for shrubs.  

And so, as I do every month, I reached out to Highlands Biological Station botanist Rachel Martin; who counseled, “As we’ve been experiencing some warmer temperatures lately, native shrubs can still be added to the landscape, and one to recommend is: Fothergilla major or Fothergilla gardenii.”

The two species are almost identical, except for flower and leaf size and overall dimensions.  F. major is a larger shrub and may reach six to 10 feet in height, whereas F. gardenii is a more diminutive version, reaching only three feet.   

There is also the hardy and vigorous Mount Airy cultivar, which is a hybrid of the two and may grow to six feet tall.

The native woodland Southern shrub is less known than it ought to be – perhaps on account of its common name, Witch Alder (related to Witch Hazel). Truly a four-season shrub, Fothergilla is the perfect plant for fall transition when its small oval leaves are a dazzle of orange, yellow and red to match the trees.  

Once the autumn foliage is gone, an interesting zig-zag branch can be seen, adding interest to the winter landscape.  

In mid-spring, sweet-smelling white bottlebrush-shaped flowers emerge on the ends of the branches.  After that there is a summer of deep green leaves. 

Fothergilla – especially the Mt. Airy and the dwarf varieties – work well in landscape designs for mixed perennial and shrub gardens, border gardens and as accent plants. Planting is possible where the soil is less than ideal.  Although it can tolerate full sun to partial shade, the fall coloring will be at its best if touched by a few hours of sunlight daily.  

And lastly, more timely advice from Rachel Martin; “Something else I would highly encourage, ‘Leave the Leaves.’

“Fall is certainly a beautiful time, especially as the colors change, but as the leaves fall, it’s important to keep them around in your landscape. Fallen leaves and other bits of garden debris can provide nesting habitat for some of our important native pollinator species. Not only does leaving the leaves help pollinators, but they can also act as an ‘instant mulch’ for your gardening beds. Some leaves will break down quicker than others, but a gradual decomposition throughout fall into winter will leave (or leaf!) you with a nice layer of organic matter come spring.”