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Leucothoe axillaris

Common name:	Coastal Doghobble	Family:	Ericaceae
Author:	(Lam.)D.Don.	Botanical references:	11, 43, 200
Synonyms:	Leucothoe catesbaei ((Walter.)A.Gray.)
Known Hazards:	Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, at least one other member of this genus is said to have poisonous fruits[178].
Range:	South-eastern N. America - Virginia to Florida and Alabama.
Habitat:	Moist woods near the coast[235].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Andromeda axillaris[G] L. axillaris var. ambigens[B,P] L. platyphylla[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Coast Leucothoe [DEN1], Coastal Doghobble [B,P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	axillaris = in leaf axils;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ericales. Heath family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Us(Amerindian)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 1.8m. It is hardy to zone 6. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 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 and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antipruritic; Expectorant; Poultice.

Promotes the discharge of mucus from the nose[61].
An infusion of the leaf is taken internally and also used as a wash in the treatment of rheumatism[257].
n infusion of the leaves and stems has been used to bathe itchy skin[257].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a lime-free well-drained humus-rich soil and some shade[11, 182, 200].
Plants are not very successful in Britain[11]. One report says they are not very hardy in Britain, succeeding outdoors only in the milder areas of the country, whilst another says that they are hardy to zone 6, which means tolerating temperatures down to -15° or lower[200].
The flowers are strongly fragrant[245].
This species is often confused with L. fontanesiana[182].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a shady part of the greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination is variable. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the 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.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, August in a frame. Fair to good percentage[78].
Layering in autumn. Takes 12 months. Very high percentage[78].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are strongly fragrant.

Suppliers

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

Web References

[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
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.

References for Leucothoe catesbaei (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

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

[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.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[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.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[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.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[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.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Leucothoe+axillaris
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Leucothoe+axillaris

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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.