Mount Airy Fothergilla is a hybrid of Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarf Witch Fothergilla, which grows 3 to 5 feet) & F. major (Large or Mountain Fothergilla, 8 to 12 feet), resulting in an intermediate-sized 4 to 8 foot shrub.The fothergillas are named for Quaker physician John Fothergill (1733-1814), a physician & gardener in 18th Century London. He funded the travels of William Bartram resulting in the 1791 classic Travels Through North & South Carolina, Georgia, East & West Florida.