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Shrubs

Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow' (v)

dog hobble 'Rainbow'

'Rainbow' is an evergreen shrub to 1.5m tall, with slender arching reddish branches bearing glossy, lance-shaped leaves to 10cm long, mottled with cream and pink, and short racemes of small cream flowers below the branches in spring

Synonyms

Leucothoe walteri 'Rainbow'
Leucothoe 'Rainbow'

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drained

pH

Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Ericaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Leucothoe can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs with simple, leathery leaves and racemes or panicles of small bell- or urn-shaped flowers
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist, acid soil in shade or partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by seed and semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus in gardens where it is present but insufficient data to determine degree of susceptibility

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