Fothergilla has always been appreciated for its spectacular autumn color, but Legend of the Fall Fothergilla sets a new standard for the species with brilliant, glowing hues of orange, yellow, purple, and red. Spring brings a crop of honey-scented, white bottlebrush flowers. The flowers open before the almost round, green leaves emerge.

“They do not have a bad season,” says horticulturist Michael Dirr, extolling the virtues of Fothergilla in his book Dirr’s Trees and Shrubs. “They have assumed their rightful place in American gardens as magnificent shrubs that offer superb flowers and foliage, in both summer and fall.”

Plant Fothergilla in full sun to part shade locations in moist well-drained soils. Performs best in morning sun and afternoon shade.