Description
Lyonia – Huckleberry – Fetterbush –
There are about 35 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs sometimes small trees, in this genus. They occur in Southeastern and Eastern Asia, Eastern USA, Mexico and the Antilles, generally occurring in woodland. They have simple, pointed, glossy, leathery leaves, held alternately, and are grown for their dense axillary, pendent racemes or clusters of white, pink, or cream, urn shaped flowers, sometimes bell shaped, ovoid or cylindrical flowers borne on previous years growth. Suitable for a woodland garden.
Grow in acidic to neutral, mode4rately fertile, humus rich, moist but well drained soil in partial or deep shade. Intolerant of drought.
Prone to tar spot, rust, and leaf gall.
L. ferruginea – Rusty lyonia – This spreading, bushy, evergreen or small tree from Southeastern USA grows 15′ feet tall and 6′ feet wide. It produces elliptic to ovate or obovate, leathery, dark green leaves, to 3 ½” long, usually with the edged rolled under. The shoots and undersides of the leaves are covered with red-brown scales. In late winter or spring it bears pendent clusters of up to 10 urn shaped, white flowers, 1/8″ long.
Zones 8-9
