drooping laurel
Leucothoe fontanesiana
USDA zones5 to 8
SunHandles partial sun to full shade
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall2 to 3 feet wide
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- White
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Drooping laurel (Leucothoe fontanesiana) is a shrub for shade gardens, woodland plantings, borders, and low maintenance beds. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes part sun to full shade and dry to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Drooping spikes of white, waxy, urn-shaped flowers hang from the arching branches. Deer rarely make it their first choice. In humid areas, give it at least six hours of sun to discourage leaf spot.
Pairs well with Oakleaf hydrangea, Aureola Japanese forest grass, Lady fern, and Solomon's seal.
Native range
Southeastern United States.