Need help identifying this shrub

[ronsense]

Hi all! I bought this shrub from the garden centre today. The sticker on the pot is missing and the person working at the centre couldn't help. Said it's maybe a type of Salix. The leaves are quite thick and leather-like.
I would really appreciate any help identifying what bush this is so that it gets planted in the right soil/location.
– Ron

 

[Marck]

Hello, and welcome to the Forum.

This looks like a Fothergilla or Witch-alder (Fothergilla sp.). The genus is endemic to the southeastern U.S. There is a Greater Witch-alder (F. major) and Lesser Witch-alder (F. gardenii) and there is also a similar hybrid known as F. x intermedia. There are several cultivars of each. Good culture would be to place the plant in full sun to part shade, soil should be mesic and well-draining.