Fothergilla gardenii Suzanne

The Fothergilla gardenii 'Suzanne' is a small variety of Fothergilla that makes a highly ornamental bush. Bushy, dense, and compact, it first offers a flowering with white catkins that smell like honey in spring, greatly appreciated by bees. Its foliage turns orange, purple, and red in autumn. It thrives in acidic to neutral, non-chalky soils. This variety mainly tolerates shade and dry soils.

The Fothergilla gardenii is a cousin of Witch Hazel, native to the southeastern United States. Its natural habitat includes marshy plains, wet savannas, and shrubby peat bogs. While it seems tied to flooded lands, it can endure periods of drought, corresponding to the seasonal drying out of its environment. The 'Suzanne' Garden Fothergilla reaches 75 cm (30in) in height and 90 cm (35in) in width at maturity. Of modest stature, it has a bushy, compact, yet flexible habit. Its growth is slow. Its deciduous foliage somewhat resembles that of hazelnut. It consists of leaves measuring 3 to 8 cm (1 to 3in) in length and 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in width, diamond-shaped, pubescent, embossed, with prominent veins, initially light green, then darkening in summer. They turn yellow and coppery-orange in autumn, with areas of purple-red, filling the garden with sumptuous hues. Its flowers, in conical catkins measuring 3.5 cm (1in) in length, are white and fragrant, appearing in early spring. They abound on grey, bare branches during the months of April-May. Each flower head consists of flowers with numerous upturned stamens embedded in a green-to-cream calyx. The colour ranges from white to cream, with the tip of the 'catkin' being chartreuse green.

The Fothergilla gardenii 'Suzanne' thrives in partial, slightly denser shade. It prefers sandy, humus-bearing, calm, and light soils but can tolerate somewhat drier soil. It is, therefore, more suitable for a location at the base of larger bushes or under trees. Plant it on the edge of a woodland, in a bed of acid-loving plants, in the company of Daphnes, Pieris, and Sarcococca or Autumn Camellias. Plant Heucheras with colours similar to its beautiful autumnal foliage at its base, in shades of purple, caramel, or gold. Winter heathers or hellebores are also good companions.