Gardening Plants & Flowers Shrubs

How to Grow and Care for 'Mount Airy' Dwarf Fothergilla

mount airy dwarf shrub

The Spruce / K. Dave

'Mount Airy' dwarf fothergilla is a flowering shrub with unusual bottlebrush blooms, a distinctive fragrance, and beautiful multicolored leaves in the fall. 'Mount Airy' dwarf fothergilla grows best in wet, woodland conditions and requires full or partial sunlight, moderately moist, but well-drained soil that's on the acidic side.

Common Name Fothergilla shrubs, bottlebrush
Botanical Name Fothergilla gardenii ''Mount Airy'
Family  Hamamelidaceae
Plant Type Shrub
Mature Size  3-5 ft. in tall, 3-5 ft. wide
Sun Exposure Full, partial
Soil Type Moist, well-drained
Soil pH Acidic
Bloom Time Spring
Flower Color White
Hardiness Zones  5-8 (USDA)
Native Area  North America

'Mount Airy' Dwarf Fothergilla Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a 'Mount Airy' dwarf fothergilla:

  • Choose a sunny spot for this shrub for the best results.
  • Plant in soil that's on the more acidic side.
  • Keep the soil moist and well-drained.
  • Feed this shrub with fertilizer for acid-loving plants.
mount airy dwarf shrubs

The Spruce / K. Dave

mount airy dwarf shrub

The Spruce / K. Dave

Light

Plant these shrubs in full sun (six or more hours of direct sunlight a day) to partial shade (two to six hours of direct sunlight a day).

Soil

They grow best in moderately moist but a well-drained soil that has a pH on the acidic side. Soil rich with organic matter will help the plant thrive.

Water

This shrub needs a medium amount of watering, which is about once a week or when the top couple of inches of soil are dry to the touch. Fothergilla gardenii ''Mount Airy' does best in moist soil and it is not as adaptable as the large type and hybrids that can contend with a range of soil and moisture conditions.

Temperature and Humidity

Fothergilla has shallow roots and will need a layer of mulch to conserve moisture and to keep soil temperatures moderate.

Fertilizer

The plant prefers acidic soils so an acid-forming fertilizer will work best. Use fertilizer that's labeled for azaleas, rhododendrons, and other acid-loving plants. Give the plant two feedings, following product label instructions, in the spring one month apart to quicken its growth.

Types of 'Mount Airy' Dwarf Fothergilla

‘Blue Shadow’ is a sport (genetic mutation) of ‘Mount Airy’ and has a medium height and more rounded shape. 'Blue Shadow' also has eye-catching powder blue leaves but less fall color than 'Mount Airy'.

There are three types of fothergilla and the names tend to be used interchangeably:

  • Fothergilla gardenii (dwarf fothergilla): The compact dwarf form, of which 'Mount Airy' is a part, grows 2 to 3 feet high and wide with a rounded shape.
  • Fothegilla major (large fothergilla): Grows taller to about 10 feet tall and more upright than dwarf fothergilla and it has larger flowers and foliage.
  • Fothegilla x intermedia: Hybrids of the two types above offer blue leaves and prolific blooms and fall foliage.

Pruning

Fothergillas do tend to spread via suckers. If you wish to limit their spread, remove the suckers as soon as you discover them. If, on the other hand, you want more of this plant, its suckering tendency makes the job easy: Simply dig up a sucker (getting as much root as possible), and transplant it to the desired location.

Since it blooms on last year's growth, prune after the flowering period if you truly need to prune (alternatively, if you do not mind losing a few of next year's flowers, you can prune when the bush is dormant). But dwarf fothergilla requires only minimal pruning. If branches are rubbing against each other in the inner part of the plant, you may wish to prune to "open up" the shrub. But avoid pruning it to give it a uniform shape: It is more appealing when it sports the "wild look." You can trim off dead branches at any time of the year.

Propagating 'Mount Airy' Dwarf Fothergilla

Any fothergilla plant is best propagated from cuttings as seeds can be tough to germinate. Softwood cuttings can be taken in late spring through midsummer. The cuttings taken from suckers or roots are easy to propagate. Take these steps:

  1. Use a sterilized garden cutting tool to take a 6 to 8-inch cutting when the shrub is in active growth (this will help the rooting stage).
  2. Remove any leaves on the bottom but leave a couple of sets of leaves on top of the cutting. Dip the bottom of the cutting in rooting hormone.
  3. Plant the cutting in a small pot containing 1:1 peat and either perlite medium or quality potting soil formulated for seed germination. Keep the cutting in the shade and water the soil to keep it moist (not soggy).
  4. Once rooted and growing, the cutting can be transplanted into larger containers. It may take a while for the cutting to root and you may need to leave the rooted cutting in the small container through the winter.
  5. If the cutting has rooted after the winter, repot it into a larger container.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

"Mount Airy' dwarf fothergilla is relatively free of pests and diseases. However, if grown in a soil that is too alkaline, it may suffer from iron chlorosis which manifests itself in yellowing leaves. Amending the soil to reduce alkalinity should alleviate the issue.

How to Get 'Mount Airy' Dwarf Fothergilla to Bloom

Bloom Months

'Mount Airy' blooms in early to mid-spring, which falls about April through May,

What Do 'Mount Airy' Dwarf Fothergilla Flowers Look and Smell Like?

In spring, this shrub is tipped with white round flowers that elongate (1 to 3 inches long) and will have the appearance of little bottlebrushes. The frothy flowers do not have petals, but instead have white stamens and yellow anthers. The flowers smell a bit like honey though some say there's a hint of licorice in the scent, as well.

How to Encourage More Blooms

If you are in a hot climate and growing this plant in full sun, you will get more blooms if the shrub has some afternoon shade.

Common Problems With 'Mount Airy' Dwarf Fothergilla

Fothergilla shrubs in general are easy to grow and maintain. Fothergilla shrubs in general are not known to have any pest or disease problems. Once in a while, there could be a problem with the plant that can likely be amended.

Wilting, Dying Leaves

The shrub may be overfertilized, overwatered, or underwatered if its leaves are wilting and dying.

Brown Spots on Leaves

Brown spots on leaves, or leaf spot, is a fungal disease that can happen if the bush is stressed because it's getting too much hot sun. If this happens, the shrub may defoliate by the end of the summer. Rake up and clean fallen foliage so spores do not spread or become lodged in the soil. Fungicide sprays can protect the shrub but read the directions to see the best timing in the season to use.

FAQ
  • How big do dwarf fothergilla get?

    Slow-growing dwarf fothergilla grows up to 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. It can take from 10 to 20 years for the plant to reach this mature size.

  • What's the difference between Fothergilla gardenii 'Mount Airy' and Fothergilla major 'Mount Airy'?

    There is no difference. People disagree on how to refer to this fothergilla shrub in terms of a scientific name. The most common classification is Fothergilla gardenii 'Mount Airy.' But you will also see Fothergilla major 'Mount Airy.' Since the 'Mount Airy' cultivar is a hybrid of Fothergilla gardenii and Fothergilla major, another botanical name that you may see for it is Fothergilla gardenii x major 'Mount Airy.'

  • What are good companion plants for Fothergilla 'Mount Airy'?

    Acid-loving shrubs, such as mountain laurel, azaleas, and rhododendrons will make good companion plants for 'Mount Airy'.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Fothergilla. Clemson College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences.

  2. Fothergilla. University of Wisconsin Horticulture Division.

  3. Fothergilla. Clemson College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences.