North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Leucothoe fontanesiana

Leucothoe fontanesiana (Steud.) Sleumer

mountain doghobble, highland doghobble, switch-ivy

Synonym(s): Leucothoe axillaris var. editorum, Leucothoe catesbaei, Leucothoe editorum
Cultivar(s): Girard's Rainbow, Scarletta

Leucothoe fontanesiana (Mountain Doghobble)

Image ID: 12546
Image by: Cressler, Alan M.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: LEFO
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Leucothoe fontanesiana
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2017-09-24

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
1422	Girard's Rainbow	View
1423	Scarletta	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: 6 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub

LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Evergreen

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Apr-May

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

BLOOM COLOR: White flowers

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

FRUITING PERIOD: Sep-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: VA, NC, TN, SC & GA

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Mountain doghobble is found primarily in the Blue Ridge Mountains, though some populations make it into the Piedmont. Despite being a mountain species, it is a very tough plant that is adaptable a wide range of environmental conditions. Mountain doghobble usually grows as a low, arching shrub, and does very well in full shade. It has creamy white flowers clustered at the ends of its branches in spring.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 6
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 8
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
19	HORT	2015-10-24	Daley	View
101	HORT	2012-04-01	Tomberlin	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
17	2018-0003	2018-01-08	19	View
100	2012-0072	2012-11-13	101	View
912	1985-0595			View
914	1985-0597			View
2091	1986-1891			View
2299	1986-2130			View
2300	1986-2131			View
6163	1995-1295			View
6515	1996-0140			View
6792	1997-0006			View
8450	2005-0524	2005-12-20		View
8652	2006-0257	2006-09-21		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
18	17	71	NCBG staff	2017-12-21	View
157	100	65	Poythress	2012-04-01	View
158	100	45	Mixon	2012-10-01	View
1681	912	198	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
1683	914	161	NCBG staff	1982-01-01	View
3480	2091	79	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
3481	2091	78	NCBG staff	1968-10-01	View
3482	2091	187	NCBG staff	1968-10-01	View
3978	2299	81	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
8818	6163	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9210	6515	143	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
9211	6515	94	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
9600	6792	71	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
11671	8450	205	NCBG staff	1967-12-01	View
11870	8652	153	NCBG staff	2006-10-01	View
12219	8450	77	Liloia	2009-10-22	View
12221	8450	71	Liloia	2009-10-26	View
13401	2091	77	Liloia	2022-11-10	View
13402	2091	73	Liloia	2022-11-04	View
13722	0	74	Liloia	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: LEFO
USDA Common Name: Highland Doghobble
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, GA, KY, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, SC, TN, 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	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 fontanesiana
COMMON NAME: Mountain Doghobble, Switch-ivy
SYNONYMY: [= FNA, GW, K, L, Va, W; = L. axillaris var. editorum (Fernald & Schubert) H.E. Ahles - RAB; = L. walteri (Willdenow) Melvin - C, Pa; = L. editorum Fernald & Schubert - F, G; = L. catesbaei (Walter) Gray - S]
PHENOLOGY: Apr-May; Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Moist slopes, streambanks, ravines, often associated with Rhododendron maximum thickets.
COMMENTS: A Southern Appalachian endemic: sw. VA south through w. NC and e. TN to nw. GA.
RANGE MAP: Leucothoe fontanesiana.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 fontanesiana in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Leucothoe fontanesiana in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

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

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 12546 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 12546 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 15276 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 12546 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)