Coastal Leucothoe

Coastal Leucothoe is a compact, slow-growing native evergreen shrub with a lax, arching multi-stemmed habit.  Its rich, thick dark green foliage emerges tinged with bronze-red and turns purplish-bronze in winter.  Lightly fragrant white flowers are borne in profuse axillary clusters in spring.  Grows best in partial sun and rich, moist acidic well-drained soils.  Leaves are highly flammable and toxic if ingested.  Deer resistant.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance. Water regularly.  Tolerates severe pruning.  Rot rot and leaf spot are occasional problems.

LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Wildlife Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Foundational Plantings, Hedges, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: American Elm, Azalea, Lenten Rose

IMAGES: KENPEI, Leucothoe axillaris1, CC BY-SA 3.0, (2) Sten Porse, Leucothoë-axiliaris-habitus, CC BY-SA 3.0, (3) KENPEI, Leucothoe axillaris2, CC BY-SA 3.0, (4) KENPEI, Leucothoe axillaris3, CC BY-SA 3.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.