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Chamaedaphne calyculata

Common name:	Leather Leaf	Family:	Ericaceae
Author:	(L.)Moench.	Botanical references:	11, 43, 200
Synonyms:	Andromeda calyculata (L.)
Known Hazards:	A toxin, called 'andromedotoxin' can be released from the plant if it is infused in boiling water[183]. See notes below regarding use of the plant for tea.
Range:	Europe, Asia, N. America.
Habitat:	Peaty swales, bogs, pine barrens, pond margins etc[43].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Cassandra calyculata[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Cassandra [L], Leather Leaf [L], Leatherleaf [FEIS,P,B],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	calyculata = with little calyx;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ericales. Heath family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 0.75m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to June. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid soils and can grow in very acid soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Bog Garden, Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Tea.

An aromatic tea-like beverage is brewed from the fresh or dried leaves[161, 177, 183, 257]. Some reports say that boiling or steeping can extract a harmful toxin 'andromedotoxin' and it is recommended that the leaves are put in a jar of water and left in a sunny position to brew in order to make 'sun-tea'[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiphlogistic; Febrifuge.

A poultice of the leaves has been applied to inflammations[257].
An infusion of the leaves has been used to treat fevers[257].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Thrives in a moist well-drained lime-free soil in sun or semi-shade[1, 200]. Best if given some protection from the midday sun[1].
Plants are hardy to about -25°c[184].
There are some named forms, selected for their ornamental value. 'Nana' is a dwarf compact form that is good for shady areas[183].
The flowers have a delicate refreshing scent[245].

Propagation

Seed - sow February in a lime-free compost in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed[78]. Do not allow the compost to dry out and keep the pot in a shady position. Germination is usually fair, taking 1 - 12 months at 15°c, though 4 weeks cold stratification may reduce this time[164]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts[164].
Cuttings of almost ripe side-shoots, 4 - 5cm long with a heel, August in a frame. A variable degree of success[78]. It can help to prune the plants lightly after flowering in order to encourage vigorous growth from which to take the cuttings[78].
Layering in August. Takes 18 months. High percentage[78].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a delicate refreshing scent.

Cultivars

'': There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.

References for the family Ericaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data for parts of family Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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