Fothergilla gardenii, commonly known as dwarf fothergilla or coastal fothergilla, is a slow-growing, deciduous, dwarf ornamental shrub that is native to moist lowland coastal plain bogs and savannas in the southeastern U.S. from North Carolina to the Florida panhandle and Alabama. It is a compact, slow-growing, mounded, deciduous shrub that typically grows 2-3’ tall and as wide. Patulous flowers in dense terminal bottle brush-like spikes (to 1-2" long) bloom in spring (April-early May) before the leaves appear. Only the male flowers have color (showy white filaments and yellow anthers). Flowers are aromatic. Thick, pubescent, oblong to ovate, blue-green to green leaves (to 2 1/2" long) have marginal teeth from mid point to leaf apex and are rounded at the base. Leaves turn often brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red in fall.
