Leucothoë

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Leucothoë' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/leucothoe/). Accessed 2023-12-11.

Family

Ericaceae

Species in genus

Glossary

calyx: (pl. calyces) Outer whorl of the perianth. Composed of several sepals.
corolla: The inner whorl of the perianth. Composed of free or united petals often showy.
alternate: Attached singly along the axis not in pairs or whorls.
axillary: Situated in an axil.
bud: Immature shoot protected by scales that develops into leaves and/or flowers.
capsule: Dry dehiscent fruit; formed from syncarpous ovary.
corolla: The inner whorl of the perianth. Composed of free or united petals often showy.
imbricate: Overlapping.
included: (botanical) Contained within another part or organ.
valvate: (of similar parts of a plant: e.g. petals) Meeting without overlapping; (of dehiscent fruit) opening via valves.

References

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Leucothoë' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/leucothoe/). Accessed 2023-12-11.

Leucothoe davisiae.

A genus of about forty-five species of evergreen or deciduous shrubs, natives mainly of Northern, Central, and South America, but with a few species in E. Asia. Leaves alternate. Flowers in axillary or terminal racemes. Calyx of five nearly free lobes, which are imbricate (i.e., overlapping) in the bud. Corolla urn-shaped or cylindrical. Stamens ten, included within the corolla; anthers with or without awns and always without spurs at the base. Seed-vessel a round, flattened, loculicidal capsule.

Some species of Gaultheria closely resemble Leucothoë but can always be distinguished by their fruits. Lyonia differs in having the sepals valvate in the bud (i.e. not or just touching but not overlapping). Pieris also has valvate sepals.

The chief cultural need of the leucothoës is a moist, peaty soil or a sandy lime-free loam with leaf-mould added; they prefer semi-shaded positions. Propagation is by cuttings of half-ripened shoots.

Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Nana' forms a very dense and rather beautiful groundcover c. 50 cm tall – here in Ray Wood, Castle Howard, July 2020. Image John Grimshaw.

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