In autumn, fothergilla leaves put on a show rivaled by few shrubs. Colors range from yellow through the oranges, and many wander into bright reds and rich maroon. In full sun, the colors are fantastic, while in shade they are somewhat subdued. Of course, not all plants are standouts in the fall color arena. Cultivar Sampling F. gardenii 'Blue Mist' A Morris Arboretum introduction that has been floating around for quite a while.
Foliage is soft, grayish blue, and adds a nice touch to the summer green doldrums.
Unfortunately, the vigor of this plant is not stupendous, and it would be charitable to call the fall color less than impressive. F. gardenii 'Harold Epstein' Certainly good genes here, at least in the name. This is a tight, compact form with essentially ovate leaves less than 2 inches long. Likely in the neighborhood of 2 feet tall. Fall color is okay, but not great.