North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Leucothoe axillaris

Leucothoe axillaris (Lam.) D. Don

coastal doghobble

Synonym(s): Leucothoe axillaris var. ambigens, Leucothoe platyphylla
Cultivar(s): Compacta, Dodd's Variegated, Winter Garnet

Image ID: 15275
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: LEAX
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Leucothoe axillaris
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2016-12-31

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
1420	Compacta	View
1708	Dodd's Variegated	View
1421	Winter Garnet	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: LEUCO5
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Leucothoe
GENUS AUTHORITY: D. Don
GENUS COMMON: Doghobble
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 5 species, shrubs, of Japan, Himalayan Asia, w. North America, and e. North America.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Judd et al. (2013)= Z; Tucker in FNA (2009); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004). [also see Agarista and Eubotrys]

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ERICAC
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Ericaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Heath Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 107-124 genera and 3400-4100 species, primarily shrubs, small trees, and subshrubs, nearly cosmopolitan. The Ericaceae is very important in our area, which is one of the north temperate centers of diversity for the Ericaceae, with a great diversity of genera and species, many of them rather narrowly endemic. Along with Quercus and Pinus, various members of this family are dominant in much of our landscape.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Tucker in FNA (2009); Gillespie & Kron (2010, 2013); Kron et al. (2002); Wood (1961); Judd & Kron (1993); Kron & Chase (1993); Luteyn et al. (1996)=L; Dorr & Barrie (1993); Cullings & Hileman (1997); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 2-4 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Evergreen

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Late Mar-May

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
	x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: White flowers

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x		x

FRUITING PERIOD: Sep-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Bogs/pocosins
NATIVE RANGE: southeastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Donâ€™t you just love common names of plants? Descriptive and informative. No doubt this plant was seen as a nuisance to some during hunting season, it is also called "fetterbush". It is low and spreading, arching ziggedy-zaggedy thickets of stems with showy, fragrant white flowers drooping down in early Spring. Evergreen in leaf, often showing some reds as the cooler weather settles. Shade tolerant, though happiest when it gets some sun.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 5
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
1932	HORT	2008-04-09	Stern	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
910	1985-0593			View
911	1985-0594			View
1811	1986-1592			View
2712	1987-0186			View
6514	1996-0139			View
6525	1996-0154			View
6761	1996-0420			View
6940	1998-0147			View
7098	1999-0050	1999-08-10		View
7404	2000-0147	2000-04-06		View
7780	2001-0136	2001-06-27		View
8653	2006-0258	2006-09-21		View
9176	2008-0368	2020-04-08	1932	View
9474	2021-0130	2021-12-21	0	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
1679	910	198	NCBG staff	1978-03-18	View
1680	911	198	NCBG staff	1978-11-09	View
2895	1811	6	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
2896	1811	62	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
2897	1811	56	NCBG staff	1986-12-23	View
2898	1811	94	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
4522	2712	8	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9208	6514	81	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
9209	6514	81	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
9228	6525	143	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
9541	6761	61	Stern	1997-03-24	View
9542	6761	118	NCBG staff	1967-12-01	View
9802	6940	160	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
10031	7098	174	NCBG staff	1967-12-01	View
10400	7404	159	NCBG staff	2000-04-03	View
10984	7780	6	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
11871	8653	153	NCBG staff	2006-10-01	View
12146	9176	170	Stern	2008-04-09	View
12968	9474	157	MacIntyre	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: LEAX
USDA Common Name: Coastal Doghobble
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, VA)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FACW				FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Leucothoe axillaris
COMMON NAME: Coastal Doghobble
SYNONYMY: [= C, FNA, G, GW, K, L, S, Va, WH3; = L. axillaris var. axillaris - RAB; > L. axillaris var. axillaris - F; > L. axillaris var. ambigens Fernald - F]
PHENOLOGY: Late Mar-May; Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Pocosins, blackwater swamp forests, and moist and acid slopes.
COMMENTS: A Southeastern Coastal Plain endemic: se. VA south to c. peninsular FL and west to extreme e. LA (several parish records reported for west of the Mississippi River are non-native, from cultivation).
RANGE MAP: Leucothoe axillaris.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Ericaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Heath Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 107-124 genera and 3400-4100 species, primarily shrubs, small trees, and subshrubs, nearly cosmopolitan. The Ericaceae is very important in our area, which is one of the north temperate centers of diversity for the Ericaceae, with a great diversity of genera and species, many of them rather narrowly endemic. Along with Quercus and Pinus, various members of this family are dominant in much of our landscape.
REFERENCE: Tucker in FNA (2009); Gillespie & Kron (2010, 2013); Kron et al. (2002); Wood (1961); Judd & Kron (1993); Kron & Chase (1993); Luteyn et al. (1996)=L; Dorr & Barrie (1993); Cullings & Hileman (1997); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Leucothoe D. Don (Doghobble)
SUMMARY: A genus of 5 species, shrubs, of Japan, Himalayan Asia, w. North America, and e. North America.
REFERENCE: Judd et al. (2013)= Z; Tucker in FNA (2009); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004). [also see Agarista and Eubotrys]

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Leucothoe axillaris in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Leucothoe axillaris in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Leucothoe axillaris in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Leucothoe axillaris in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Leucothoe axillaris in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Leucothoe axillaris

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 15275 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 15275 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 7523 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 94942 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)