Light Needs
Mature Height
Mature Spread
Growing Zones
Are you searching for a shrub that adds year-round interest to borders and beds? If so, then look no further than Blue Shadow Fothergilla. Also known as Fothergilla x intermedia ‘Blue Shadow’, this cultivar of ‘Mount Airy’ features fragrant, ivory, bottle brush-shaped spring blossoms followed by green foliage turning powdery blue in the summer. The leaves “catch fire” during the fall as they turn shades of amber, gold, and crimson. This vigorous, slow-growing selection finishes up the year in winter by offering a unique arrangement of its zigzagging leafless branches.
Blue Shadow Fothergilla Care
Choose a place in your landscape with 6 to 8 hours of direct sun. Plant in a hole two times the width and one time the height of the root ball in loamy, moist, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.0. If the soil doesn’t drain well, amend it with compost. Apply a three-inch mulch ring. Provide one inch of water per week when the top one inch of soil is dry. Apply an organic fertilizer, such as Espoma’s Holly-Tone, for acid-loving plants annually.
To protect this deciduous shrub during harsh winters, loosely tie the branches and cover them with a frost blanket such as burlap. Blue Shadow Fothergilla does not require heavy pruning. Remove any diseased, dead, damaged, and crossed stems during late winter or spring. Remove any suckers after blooming.
If planting in a container, choose a pot two to four inches wider than the root ball. Fill the pot with potting soil designed for acid-loving plants. In a thriller-filler-spiller combination, use this shrub as a thriller.
Blue Shadow Fothergilla Spacing
Plant Blue Shadow Fothergillas 3 to 4 feet apart when planting in hedges or growing near foundations. For accent planting, space Blue Shadow Fothergilla plants 3 to 5 feet apart. Plant them with other acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and mountain laurels. Blue Shadow Fothergilla is a superb choice to plant in a woodland garden.
Blue Shadow Fothergilla Plant Facts
Growing Conditions
- Hardiness ZonesGrowing Zones
- USDA Zones 5 to 8 (perennial); grown as an annual elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown indoors elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown in containers elsewhere (grown as a seasonal crop)
- Sun Exposure
- Part Sun to Full Sun (5+ Hours Direct Sun)
- Mature Height
- 4-5 Feet
- Mature Spread
- 4-5 Feet
- Growth Habit
- , Mounded
- Water Needs
- Average
Flowers & Foliage
- Flower Colors
- , White
- Flower Description
- White
- Bloom Time
- Spring
- Blooms On
-
Old Wood
?
"Blooms on" tells you which stems produce flowers, which decides when it's safe to prune.
- New Wood: Flowers form on stems that grow this season. Prune in late winter or early spring without losing blooms.
- Old Wood: Flower buds form on last year's stems. Prune right after flowering. Pruning in fall or early spring removes next year's blooms.
- Both New and Old Wood: Blooms on last year's stems and again on new growth, so it flowers even after a hard winter or a mistimed pruning. Prune lightly after the first flush of blooms.
- When to Prune
- Right after flowering
- Foliage Color
- , Blue
- Foliage Description
- Blue
- Foliage Type
- , Deciduous
- Seasonal Interest
- , Summer Flowering
Garden Benefits
Plant Overview
- Common Name
- Blue Shadow Fothergilla
- Also Known As
- Hybrid fothergilla, Witch-alder
- Botanical Name
- Fothergilla gardenii 'Blue Shadow'
Simple Plant Spacing Calculator
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
Also Known As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
Also Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
Also Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
Also Known As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#5 Container
5 Gallon
Plant Age:
~3-4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 20" - 60"
Pot Size:
~11" H x 10 1/2” W
Volume:
3.5 - 4 gallons
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Plants that are currently in stock typically ship within 2-7 business days after your order is placed.
Plant Addicts ships to the lower 48 states within the U.S. Unfortunately, we do not currently ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or internationally.
This plant cannot be shipped to the following states: AK, HI. These restrictions apply only to this specific plant due to agricultural regulations or other limitations. Other plants may still be available for shipping to these states.
If you have any questions about shipping restrictions, feel free to reach out to our team!