Rainbow Drooping Fetterbush
Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow'
Gracefully arching, striking red stems with colorful, mottled leaves. Showy, drooping clusters of white flowers. Effective as hedge, or clip to make nice groundcover. Good cut flowers. Evergreen.
| Botanical Pronunciation: | loo-KOTH-o-ee fon-ta-nee-zee-AH-na |
| Key feature: | Deer Resistant |
| Plant type: | Shrub |
| Deciduous/evergreen: | Evergreen |
| Cold hardiness zones: | 5 - 9 |
| Light needs: | Partial sun |
| Water Needs: | Needs regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat. |
| Average landscape size: | Slow grower 3 to 5 ft. tall and wide, can be clipped to 18 in. tall. |
| Growth rate: | Slow |
| Special features: | Deer Resistant, North American Native Selection |
| Landscape use: | Very Wet Areas |
| Flower color: | White |
| Blooms: | Spring |
| Foliage color: | Green |
| Item no.: | 5775 |
| Retailers for this plant: |
Care Information
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Provide well drained soil, rich in organic matter. Feed with an acid fertilizer after bloom. Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch. Pruning time: winter.
Design Ideas
Exceptional foliage for mixed or shrub beds and borders. A standout in foundation planting offering relief where there is too much deep green. Add to planting beneath very high shade tree canopies or in groves. Good for highlighting a distant focal point.
Companion Plants
Combine this elegant shrub with outstanding perennials such as Clementine Mix Columbine, (Aqueligia vulgaris 'Clementine Formula Mix'), Volcano Pink White Eye Phlox, (Phlox paniculata 'Barthirtyfive'), Bowl of Beauty Peony, (Paeonia x 'Bowl of Beauty') and Anne Greenway Dead Nettle, (Lamium maculatum 'Anne Greenway').
History
This genus of ericaceous plants includes over forty species throughout the Americas and eastern Asia. This species was first introduced in 1793. This species is native to North American and habits a range covering Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee. This contemporary cultivar was a seedling found at the Hillier Nurseries.
Lore
Leucothoe is the name of the daughter of Orchamus, king of Babylonia from ancient mythology.
Gracefully arching, striking red stems with colorful, mottled leaves. Showy, drooping clusters of white flowers. Effective as hedge, or clip to make nice groundcover. Good cut flowers. Evergreen.
Care Information
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Provide well drained soil, rich in organic matter. Feed with an acid fertilizer after bloom. Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch. Pruning time: winter.
Design Ideas
Exceptional foliage for mixed or shrub beds and borders. A standout in foundation planting offering relief where there is too much deep green. Add to planting beneath very high shade tree canopies or in groves. Good for highlighting a distant focal point.
Companion Plants
Combine this elegant shrub with outstanding perennials such as Clementine Mix Columbine, (Aqueligia vulgaris 'Clementine Formula Mix'), Volcano Pink White Eye Phlox, (Phlox paniculata 'Barthirtyfive'), Bowl of Beauty Peony, (Paeonia x 'Bowl of Beauty') and Anne Greenway Dead Nettle, (Lamium maculatum 'Anne Greenway').
History
This genus of ericaceous plants includes over forty species throughout the Americas and eastern Asia. This species was first introduced in 1793. This species is native to North American and habits a range covering Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee. This contemporary cultivar was a seedling found at the Hillier Nurseries.
Lore
Leucothoe is the name of the daughter of Orchamus, king of Babylonia from ancient mythology.
| Botanical Pronunciation: | loo-KOTH-o-ee fon-ta-nee-zee-AH-na |
| Key feature: | Deer Resistant |
| Plant type: | Shrub |
| Deciduous/evergreen: | Evergreen |
| Cold hardiness zones: | 5 - 9 |
| Light needs: | Partial sun |
| Water Needs: | Needs regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat. |
| Average landscape size: | Slow grower 3 to 5 ft. tall and wide, can be clipped to 18 in. tall. |
| Growth rate: | Slow |
| Special features: | Deer Resistant, North American Native Selection |
| Landscape use: | Very Wet Areas |
| Flower color: | White |
| Blooms: | Spring |
| Foliage color: | Green |
| Item no.: | 5775 |
