Dwarf Fothergilla Bottlebrush

‘Mount Airy’ is a slow-growing, deciduous fothergilla selected for spring bottlebrush flowers, blue-green summer leaves, and vivid autumn color. NC State describes it as a hybrid cultivar discovered at Mt. Airy Arboretum and lists it under the names Fothergilla major ‘Mount Airy’ and Fothergilla × intermedia ‘Mount Airy’. ## Size and siting Allow about 3–6 feet of height and 3–5 feet of spread. Plant in acidic soil with organic matter that stays consistently moist while draining well. Full sun usually gives the strongest flowering and fall color; part shade is tolerated. The recorded hardiness range is USDA Zones 5–9. Its rounded, multi-stemmed form suits a specimen spot, mixed shrub border, low hedge, or group planting. [NC State Extension](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/fothergilla-mount-airy/common-name/mt-airy-fothergilla/) describes the white honey-scented spring flowers, fall colors, and size. [Clemson Extension](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/fothergilla/) notes that fothergillas grow best in moist, well-drained soil and flower most heavily in sun. ## Maintenance Prune only as needed, immediately after flowering. Remove suckers if you want to keep the shrub within a defined footprint; leaving them in place lets it form a broader colony.