Blue Shadow Fothergilla (Fothergilla x intermedia 'Blue Shadow')
fah-ther-GILL-ah ex in-ter-MEE-dee-ah 'Blue Shadow'

Deciduous Perennial Rounded, Compact in the Hamamelidaceae Family
A blue-foliaged sport of 'Mt. Airy' with icy blue-green leaves that turn fiery red, orange, and yellow in fall.

Blue Shadow is a cultivar of Fothergilla x intermedia discovered as a basal mutation (a "bud sport") on the unpatented ‘Mt. Airy’ by breeder Gary Handy, patented in 2005 (US Plant Patent 15,490). Its defining trait is matte, glaucous blue-green foliage that holds its icy color through summer before turning brilliant red, orange, and yellow in fall. Fragrant white bottlebrush-like flower spikes appear in early spring alongside the new leaves, identical in form to ‘Mt. Airy.’ Like its parent, it grows as a dense, rounded, compact shrub and spreads slowly by root suckers.

Pros

  • Striking icy blue-green foliage unlike any other Fothergilla
  • Fragrant white bottlebrush flowers in spring
  • Brilliant red, orange, and yellow fall color
  • Deer resistant and low maintenance once established

Cons

  • Needs consistently moist, acidic soil to thrive
  • Slow to establish and spreads modestly by root suckers
  • Best blue color and flowering require full sun to part shade
Highlights
  • A naturally occurring bud-sport mutation of 'Mt. Airy', patented 2005 (USPP15,490)
  • Discovered and introduced by breeder Gary Handy
  • Its blue-green foliage is the most distinctive trait in the Fothergilla genus
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 4 - 6 feet tall. 4 - 6 feet wide.
Growth Rate Slow
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 4a - 8b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Fall Color, Formal Garden, Fragrant Flowers, Full Sun, Good for Cottage Garden, Low Maintenance, Medium, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Popular For Fall, Showy Flowers, Shrub, Wet Site Tolerant
Bloom Period April To May
Flower Color Creamy-white
Foliage Color Green-blue
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well with other acid-loving woodland shrubs such as azaleas and rhododendrons, and with ferns, hostas, or heuchera as underplanting that echoes its blue-green foliage.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 07/12
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 04/13 - 08/27

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

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