Leucothoe axillaris 'Curly Red'
COAST LEUCOTHOE, CURLY RED DOG-HOBBLE
syn. N/A
Family: Ericaceae
Pronounced: loo-KO-tho-ee ak-sil-LAY-ris
Quick Jumps
Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes
GROWING GUIDE
Origin:
Garden
Plant Group:
Shrubs
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: 4-7, 15-17.
USDA zones: 6-9.
Heat zones: 9-6.
Mature size:
Height: 18 inches (45 cm).
Width: 18 inches (45 cm).
Flowering period:
Spring to early summer.
Flowering attributes:
Short, axillary racemes with white, urn-shaped flowers.
Leaf attributes:
Curly, evergreen, apple-green to dark green leaves that turn red in autumn and burgundy in winter.
Light:
Deep to partial shade. Can take more sun in our region.
Soil:
Moist, humus-rich, acidic soil.
Feeding:
Side dress with compost or leaf mold every year.
Propagation Methods:
In summer root semi-ripe cuttings using bottom heat.
Pruning Methods:
Prune in late winter to early spring. Flowers bloom on the previous year's growth so prune minimally so as not to take off all the flowering branches.
Pests and Diseases:
Anthracnose spot, powdery mildew, leaf gall, and scale may be problems.
Rainy Side Notes
Leucothoe 'Curly Red' is a wonderful little evergreen shrub that came out of the Netherlands. In 1996, Ron van Opstal found a single plant growing amongst his L. axillaris 'Zeblid' crop, which exhibited curling, bumpy, red leaves. The new growth was purple-red unlike 'Zeblid' which new leaves emerge a reddish-brown. Ron didn't know if this was a disease problem so he isolated the plant from the rest of his crop.
Lucky for us his plant continued to grow and remain stable in its curling habits, and he sold the first one in 2004. That same year he entered the plant in the Aalsmeer Flower Market where it won the "most striking novelty" award that year.
'Curly Red' is a slow grower. Expect growth to be only inches per year. I planted one near another new acquisition, Hydrangea 'Horwack' (Pistachio is its trade name.)
Although resources say the Leucothoe genus can have problems with diseases such as powdery mildew, I have yet to see them on my own plants. L. 'Rainbow' has never exhibited any problems. However, I've grown 'Curly Red' for only two years and it hasn't bloomed yet. I will update this listing as I continue to grow it in my garden.
Debbie Teashon
Photographed in author's garden.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton