Leucothoe fontanesiana

Common Name(s):

Dog hobble, Drooping leucothoe, Fetter bush, fetterbush

Cultivar(s):

Girard's Rainbow, Scarletta, Rollisoni

Categories:

Native Plants, Poisonous Plants, Shrubs

Comment:

Leucothoe fontanesiana, commonly called drooping laurel, is a suckering, multi-stemmed, broadleaf evergreen shrub with arching branches that is native to moist forested mountain areas, dense thickets, stream banks and ravines from New York south to Alabama and Georgia, primarily in the Appalachian Mountains. It typically grows in a mound to 3-6' tall and as wide.

New growth on this plant is red.  It can be severely pruned to control height. 

Regions:  Mountain, Piedmont

Seasons of Interest: 

  Leaf:  Fall                   Blooms:   Spring          Nut/Fruit/Seed:   Fall

Wildlife Value:  This plant is highly resistant to damage from deer.  Its flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies and other polinators.  It provides good cover, especially in the winter.   

Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems:  Although this plant suffers no serious insect or disease problems, leaf spot can cause significant problems to the foliage in areas with poor air circulation.

Height:

3-6 ft.

Foliage:

The Mountain Doghobble has leathery, lanceolate, evergreen leaves (to 5" long) have serrulate margins and taper to a long point. They are alternate, simple, lustrous dark green leaves (lighter below), 2 to 5 in. long. They have long slender stems with limited branch.

Flower:

The Mountain Doghobble has drooping spikes of waxy, urn-shaped, creamy white flowers that droop from the leaf axils in spring (May). The 2" to 3" flowers are fragrant to ill-scented.

Zones:

6 to 8

Habit:

Evergreen

Site:

The Mountain Doghobble is best grown in moist, acidic, organically rich, cool, sandy to clay, well-drained loams in part shade. It can be grown in full sun, but must have consistent moisture. It will tolerate full shade. It does not tolerate drought or windy conditions. Although winter hardy to USDA Zone 5, this shrub should be planted in a protected location and given a good winter mulch in some areas to insure winter survival. Plants will sucker to form colonies over time.

Texture:

Medium to coarse

Form:

Long, spreading, arching stems; fountain-like mound

Exposure:

Partial shade; moist soil; does not withstand drought or drying wind

Fruit:

Globular, 5-lobed capsule

Family:

Ericaceae

Origin:

USA, NC

Distribution:

Mountains and upper Piedmont; gardens

Poison Part:

Leaves and nectar from flowers

Poison Delivery Mode:

Ingestion

Symptoms:

Salivation and nasal discharge, sweating, tingling sensation, headache, depression, weakness, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, paralysis

Toxic Principle:

Andromedotoxin

Severity:

HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!

Found in:

Forest or natural areas in wet woodlands, along stream banks; landscape as cultivated woody ornamental shrub

Width:

3-6 ft.

Tags:

naturalize, woodland, shade garden, riparian, bees, winter cover, hedge, deer resistant, showy, facultative-wetland, butterflies, evergreen

NCCES plant id: 501