'Mt. Airy', Dwarf Witch-alder (Fothergilla major)

The new dwarf witch-alder is flowering! These white pom-pom flowers can be found by the Fitness Center.

'Mt. Airy', Dwarf Witch-alder (Fothergilla major)

This past December a dwarf witch-alder (Fothergilla major) entered the arboretum catalogue. A 7-gallon pot was purchased from Willis Farm located in Webster Parish. It was planted in a sunny location at the bottom of a gradual slope. The clay soil was not amended. Let's see how it fares!

Our dwarf witch-alder can be found near the Fitness Center. This grassy lawn gradually slopes down to a concrete drainage channel. Several trees are thriving in this soil: bald cypress, pond cypress, and a catalpa. A gloriously healthy Nuttall oak grows a little further up the slope.

The spindly, wavy twigs of the witch-alder were visibly inactive until last week. They were springy when bent, but they lacked any other sign of vitality. Things change quickly in mid-March.

Dwarf witch-alder twig pictured March 12, 2020