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Cressler, Alan
Fothergilla milleri
Fothergilla milleri W.D.Phillips & J.E.Haynes
Miller's Witchalder, Miller's Witch-alder, Miller's Fothergilla
Hamamelidaceae (Witch-Hazel Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: FOMI4
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
"Shrub, rhizomatous, erect, to 1.5 m tall, clump-forming, multistemmed, branching." (Reslit: 3217).
"Fothergilla milleri is morphologically most similar to F. gardenii, but differs from the latter by leaves held erect (vs. spreading in F. gardenii), blades bluegreen or gray-green (vs. green in F. gardenii), petioles 1/3-1/2 the length of the IL (vs. the length of the IL or longer in F. gardenii), and seed apices acute to acuminate (vs. rounded or obtuse in F. gardenii)." (Reslit: 3217).
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Size Notes: To about 5 feet in height.
Leaf: "Leaves: stipules ovate to lanceolate, 2.5-7.8 x 1.0-3.0 mm; petioles 2.6-8.0 mm long, usually 1/3-1/2 the length of the IL, brown-yellow pubescent; blades erect, blue-green to gray-green, obovate, 3.2-8.0 x 3.0-4.8 cm, pinnately 8-10-veined, bases rounded to truncate, margins crenate to serrate above middle and mostly near the apex, sometimes appearing crenate to entire, apices mostly obtuse to acute, both surfaces conspicuously stellate-pubescent, sometimes sparsely so, abaxial surface not glaucous, IW:IL < or = 0.48 x = 0.29)." (Reslit: 3217).
Flower: "Inflorescences appearing before leaves, spikes on short peduncles or sessile. Flowers: stamens 15-22, filaments 4.3-10 mm long." (Reslit: 3217).
Fruit: "Capsules 7.0-9.0 x 5.0-7.0 cm. Seeds usually completely brown to red-brown, ovoid, 4.5-6.2 x 2.4-3.2 mm, apices acuminate, often recurved." (Reslit: 3217).
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: WhiteBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Bloom Notes: "Phenology. Flowering beginning late Mar; fruiting late May through the end of Jul." (Reslit: 3217).
Distribution
USA: AL , FL , GANative Distribution: Northern Florida, southern Alabama and southern Georgia.
Native Habitat: "This species is found in sandy peat shrub bogs, seepages, dry longleaf pine woodlands, and the edge of Cyrilla racemiflora or Taxodium ascendens swamp forests." (Reslit: 3217).
Growing Conditions
Water Use: Medium , HighLight Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Benefit
Use Wildlife: Low.Conspicuous Flowers: yes
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, The - Valhalla, NY
Web Reference
Webref 140 - Georgia Biodiversity Portal, Rare Plants (2020) Georgia Department of Natural ResourcesResearch Literature
Reslit 3217 - Revision of Fothergilla (Hamamelidaceae), including resurrection of F. parvifolia and a new species, F. milleri (2020) Haynes JE, Phillips WD, Krings A, Lynch NP, Ranney...This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
Search More Titles in Research Literature
Additional resources
USDA: Find Fothergilla milleri in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Fothergilla milleri in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Fothergilla milleri
Metadata
Record Modified: 2026-06-10Research By: Joseph A. Marcus