Leucothoe Lovita ('Zebonard')

RHS Plant Profile
dog hobble [Lovita]

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Synonyms

Leucothoe 'Zebonard'
Leucothoe saxatalis 'Lovita'
Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Lovita'
Leucothoe walteri Lovita

Shrubs
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A spreading, evergreen shrub with glossy, ovate leaves, flushed with red in spring and summer and turning bronze in the autumn and winter. Sprays of small white, bell-shaped flowers in spring.

Position

Full shade, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Poorly–drained
pH
Acid or Neutral

Position

Full shade Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
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)
H6

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Ericaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Spreading branched, 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
Trade

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moisture retentive, fertile, neutral to acid soil, in full shade or partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings using bottom heat

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Wall side borders

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