Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Saxifragales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Fothergilla major
FAMILY
Hamamelidaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read about the Witch-Alders from Linda Chafin and the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society.
Learn more about Large Witch-alder from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Most cultivated Fothergilla (notably the cultivar 'Mt. Airy') is the pentaploid hybrid of Fothergilla gardenii × major (= F. ×intermedia Ranney & Fantz) (Ranney et al. 2007). Read more in Weakley's Flora (2023)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Fothergilla major
FAMILY
Hamamelidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Fothergilla major
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Fothergilla major
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3 (1997)
Fothergilla major
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 095-03-002:
Fothergilla major FAMILY Hamamelidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Fothergilla major
COMMON NAME:
Large Witch-alder, Mountain Witch-alder, Fothergilla
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Alan S. Weakley asw_2993557077443663
April Orange County NC
North Carolina Botanical Garden
Flowers with white stamens, no petals, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
)
JK Marlow jkm250415_2403
April Pickens County SC
Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm0305zc_13
May Buncombe County NC
Botanical Gardens at Asheville
Leaves lobed or coarsely toothed near tip, or entire; base rounded or slightly cordate, per Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989).
COMPARE
leaves of Hazel Alder, Hazelnut, Witch Hazel and Witch-alder
)
JK Marlow jkm0405i_13
May Haywood County NC
Corneille Bryan Native Garden
)
JK Marlow jkm160502_030
May Transylvania County NC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm160504_470
May Jackson County NC
Pulley Park
)
JK Marlow jkm231025_6352
October Greenville County SC
Ashmore Heritage Preserve
The lowermost secondary veins forming a V shape in an otherwise larger cordate or rounded base, per Weakley's Flora (2023).
)
JK Marlow jkm0511c_04
November Haywood County NC
Corneille Bryan Native Garden
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmfmajor_occ1
Month Unknown Greenville County SC
Jones Gap State Park
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Fothergilla major
FAMILY
Hamamelidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Fothergilla major
FAMILY
Hamamelidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Fothergilla major
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Fothergilla major
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3
Fothergilla major
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 095-03-002:
Fothergilla major
FAMILY
Hamamelidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Fothergilla major
574
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: Dry ridgetop forests of middle elevation ridges in the mountains, especially along the Blue Ridge Escarpment, summits and upper slopes of Piedmont monadnocks, north-facing bluffs and along small streams in the lower Piedmont, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon in NC Mountains (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring
White
Radially symmetrical
Petals absent
Bisexual? Mostly unisexual?
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020) p082
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p246
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p109
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p123
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p065
- Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Georgia (Chafin, 2007) p145
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p108
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p37
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p144
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