Fothergilla

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Fothergilla
Fothergilla gardenii.jpg
Fothergilla gardenii
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Subfamily: Hamamelidoideae
Tribe: Fothergilleae
Genus: Fothergilla
Murr.
Species
  • Fothergilla gardenii
  • Fothergilla malloryi
  • Fothergilla major
  • Fothergilla milleri
  • Fothergilla parvifolia

Fothergilla (witch alder) is a genus of two to four species of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, native to woodland and swamps of the southeastern United States.

Contents

They are low-growing deciduous shrubs growing to 1–3 m (3–10 ft) tall with downy twigs. The brush-like flowers are produced before the leaves in spring on terminal spikes; they do not have any petals, but a conspicuous cluster of white stamens 2–3 cm long. The leaves are alternate, broad ovoid, 4–10 cm long and 3–8 cm broad, with a coarsely toothed margin; they are noted for their brilliant orange or red fall colors. [1]

Species

Flowers of F. major Fothergilla major (Witch alder).JPG
Flowers of F. major

Etymology

The genus was named in honor of the English physician and plant collector Dr. John Fothergill (1712-1780) of Stratford, Essex, who was known for introducing American plants to Britain. [5]

Cultivation and uses

Fothergillas are grown as ornamental plants for their spring flowers and fall foliage color. They are slow-growing, rarely exceeding 1–2 m tall in cultivation. The hybrid cultivar Fothergilla × intermedia 'Mount Airy' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [6]

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<i>Fothergilla gardenii</i> Species of flowering plant

Fothergilla gardenii, also known by the common names witch alder, dwarf fothergilla, American wych hazel, and dwarf witchalder is a deciduous shrub in the Hamamelidaceae family. It is one of two species in the genus Fothergilla.

<i>Fothergilla major</i> Species of flowering plant

Fothergilla major, the large witch alder or mountain witch alder, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Fothergilla, family Hamamelidaceae, that is native to woodland and swamps in the Allegheny Mountains and southern Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2.5 m with fragrant white bottlebrush flowers appearing along with, or before, the glossy leaves. The leaves often turn brilliant shades of red and orange in autumn.

<i>Corylopsis pauciflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Corylopsis pauciflora, the buttercup witch hazel or winter hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hamamelidaceae, native to Taiwan and Japan. It is a deciduous, spreading shrub growing to 1.5 m tall by 2.5 m wide. It produces masses of pale yellow flowers in pendent racemes in early spring, followed by leaves opening bronze and turning to rich green. It is cultivated in gardens and parks in temperate regions.

<i>Ranunculus calandrinioides</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Thymus pulegioides</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Yucca flaccida</i> Species of flowering plant

Yucca flaccida, commonly called Adam's needle or weak-leaf yucca, is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). It is native to south-central and southeastern North America, from the lower Great Plains eastward to the Atlantic seaboard in Virginia, south through Florida and the Gulf states. Its natural habitat is in sandy open woodlands and fields. It is not considered to be threatened by the IUCN.

<i>Corylopsis sinensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Corylopsis sinensis, the Chinese winter hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the witch-hazel family Hamamelidaceae, native to western China. Growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall and broad, it is a substantial deciduous shrub. With ovate leaves, it produces delicately fragrant, drooping racemes of pale yellow flowers with orange anthers in spring.

References

  1. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  2. Meghan G. Radtke; Kathleen B. Pigg; Wesley C. Wehr (2005), "Fossil Corylopsis and Fothergilla Leaves (Hamamelidaceae) from the Lower Eocene Flora of Republic, Washington, U.S.A., and Their Evolutionary and Biogeographic Significance", International Journal of Plant Sciences, 166 (2): 347, doi:10.1086/427483, S2CID   20215269
  3. Jianhua Li and Peter Del Tredici (2008), "The Chinese Parrotia: A Sibling Species of the Persian Parrotia" (PDF), Arnoldia, 66 (1): 5, ISSN   0004-2633, archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-08-03, retrieved 2009-06-01
  4. 1 2 Haynes, Jake E.; Phillips, Whitney D.; Krings, Alexander; Lynch, Nathan P.; Ranney, Thomas G. (2020). "Revision of Fothergilla (Hamamelidaceae), including resurrection of F. parvifolia and a new species, F. milleri". PhytoKeys (144): 57–80. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.144.49589 . PMC   7093572 . PMID   32231461.
  5. Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. ISBN   9780521866453 (hardback), ISBN   9780521685535 (paperback). pp 169
  6. "Fothergilla × intermedia 'Mount Airy'". www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 5 July 2020.