Fothergilla milleri W.D. Philli. & J.E. Haynes

Miller's Witch Alder

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Miller's Witch Alder is a native deciduous shrub in the Witch-Hazel family (Hamamelidaceae). It occurs in scattered locations throughout Alabama. Coastal Witch Alder occurs in bogs, seeps, and along streams in acidic soils. It is a small colonial shrub growing from 1-4 feet in height. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and elliptic to oblong in outline. The leaf margins are toothed from about the middle to the apex or are entire. The leaves are stellate pubescent on both surfaces, and the upper surface is glaucous. The leaves turn red, orange, or yellow before falling in the autumn. Flowers are produced in dense terminal spikes before or with the leaves. The calyx in cup shaped with 5-7 small lobes. Petals are absent. Each flower has 12-24 stamens with long filaments. The fruit is a capsule. Miller's Witch Alder is available from many nurseries. It requires a moist, acidic, organically rich soil in full sun or light shade. Best flowering occurs on plants grown in full sun, but plants will need heavy mulching and frequent watering during the summer. Miller's Witch Alder is listed as a S1 species in Alabama (typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G3/G4 species (imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors). --A. Diamond

Populations of Fothergilla milleri were long thought to be part of Fothergilla gardenii. Molecular work and reexamination of the morphology revealed the Alabama populations represent a distinct species. Fothergilla milleri occurs in W Florida, S. Alabama and at least one population in GA (Haynes et al 2020). Specimens listed below at F. gardenii should be reassessed at each herbarium and annotated accordingly.

Native FACW (NWPL) S1 (State Rank) G3G4 (Global Rank)

Haynes, J.E., W.D. Phillips, A. Krings, N.P. Lynch, & T.G. Ranney. 2020. Revision of Fothergilla (Hamamelidaceae) including the resurrection of F. parviflora and a new species, F. milleri. PhytoKeys 144:57-80.