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Rainbow Drooping Leucothoe -2 Gallon
SKU:
2071665
UPC:
014949577523
$34.99
- Color-packed evergreen foliage with creamy white and green mottling, scarlet accents, and striking red stems.
- Shade-friendly and woodland-perfect—beautiful with rhododendrons and ferns.
- Versatile: grow as a small hedge, or clip lower for an attractive groundcover.
- Spring brings drooping clusters of white flowers that also make lovely cut stems.
Rainbow Drooping Leucothoe (Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’) is a standout evergreen shrub that brightens shade with colorful foliage and graceful arching stems. Red stems frame creamy white and green mottled leaves with scarlet highlights, adding year-round interest where many plantings turn “all green.” In spring, it produces showy drooping clusters of white flowers—pretty in the landscape and lovely in cut arrangements. Slowly reaching 3 to 5 feet tall and wide (or easily clipped to about 2 feet tall), this versatile plant can be used as a small hedge, foundation accent, or a clipped groundcover beneath high shade canopies. Plant it in humus-rich, well-drained soil, keep roots cool with mulch, and enjoy an easy-care, deer-resistant favorite for filtered sun and partial shade gardens.
Product Overview
- Botanical name: Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’
- Common name: Rainbow Drooping Leucothoe
- Plant type: Evergreen shrub
- USDA Zones: 5–9
- Light: Filtered sun, partial sun, partial shade
Key Features
- Striking red stems and colorful foliage bring brightness to shady beds.
- Evergreen leaves provide year-round structure and contrast.
- White spring flowers add seasonal charm and are great for cutting.
- Can be used as a hedge, or clipped lower as a groundcover.
Size & Growth Habit
- Mature size: Slowly reaches 3–5 ft. tall and wide
- Can be clipped to: About 2 ft. tall
- Growth rate: Slow
- Habit: Upright with gracefully arching stems
This is a wonderful “tuck-in” shrub for woodland borders—large enough to anchor a bed, yet easy to shape for tighter spaces.
Foliage Color & Stems
- Stems: Striking red
- Foliage: Creamy white and green mottled leaves with scarlet accents
- Season: Evergreen color and texture year-round
Use it to break up “too much green” in foundation plantings and mixed shrub borders—its variegation acts like built-in highlight.
Flowers
- Bloom time: Spring
- Flower color: White
- Flower look: Drooping clusters
- Great for: Cut arrangements
Light Requirements
Performs best in filtered sun to partial shade. This is an excellent choice for bright shade, woodland edges, and beneath high tree canopies.
Watering
- When to water: Water when the top 2 inches of soil is dry
- First season: Water deeply and regularly to establish a strong root system
- Ongoing: Keep moisture consistent, especially during heat or dry spells
Soil, Mulch & Feeding
Rainbow Drooping Leucothoe thrives in humus-rich, well-drained soils. Keep roots cool and happy with a thick layer of mulch.
- Fertilizer: Feed with an acid fertilizer in early spring; repeat after flowering.
- Mulch: Use mulch to conserve moisture and keep roots cool.
- Drainage: Avoid planting in areas that stay waterlogged.
Spacing (Hedge vs. Groundcover)
- As groundcover: Space 2–3 ft. apart
- For faster coverage: Plant a bit closer
- As a hedge: Space closer for a fuller line
Plant spacing can be adjusted depending on whether you want individual shrubs or a continuous ribbon of foliage.
Landscape Uses & Design Ideas
- Landscape uses: Border, hedge, ground cover
- Great for: Foundation planting, mixed shrub beds, woodland gardens, under high shade canopies
- Design tip: Use as a bright “highlight” plant to draw the eye toward a focal point
Resistance & Problem-Solving
- Deer resistant: Yes
- Handles: Very wet areas (with appropriate soil conditions)
- Pollinators: Attracts butterflies and pollinators
Companion Plant Ideas
This leucothoe is a natural woodland companion and pairs beautifully with:
- Rhododendron
- Holly (Ilex)
- Astilbe
- Oregon grape holly (Mahonia)
- Painted fern (Athyrium)
- Color-packed evergreen foliage with creamy white and green mottling, scarlet accents, and striking red stems.
- Shade-friendly and woodland-perfect—beautiful with rhododendrons and ferns.
- Versatile: grow as a small hedge, or clip lower for an attractive groundcover.
- Spring brings drooping clusters of white flowers that also make lovely cut stems.
Rainbow Drooping Leucothoe (Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’) is a standout evergreen shrub that brightens shade with colorful foliage and graceful arching stems. Red stems frame creamy white and green mottled leaves with scarlet highlights, adding year-round interest where many plantings turn “all green.” In spring, it produces showy drooping clusters of white flowers—pretty in the landscape and lovely in cut arrangements. Slowly reaching 3 to 5 feet tall and wide (or easily clipped to about 2 feet tall), this versatile plant can be used as a small hedge, foundation accent, or a clipped groundcover beneath high shade canopies. Plant it in humus-rich, well-drained soil, keep roots cool with mulch, and enjoy an easy-care, deer-resistant favorite for filtered sun and partial shade gardens.
Product Overview
- Botanical name: Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’
- Common name: Rainbow Drooping Leucothoe
- Plant type: Evergreen shrub
- USDA Zones: 5–9
- Light: Filtered sun, partial sun, partial shade
Key Features
- Striking red stems and colorful foliage bring brightness to shady beds.
- Evergreen leaves provide year-round structure and contrast.
- White spring flowers add seasonal charm and are great for cutting.
- Can be used as a hedge, or clipped lower as a groundcover.
Size & Growth Habit
- Mature size: Slowly reaches 3–5 ft. tall and wide
- Can be clipped to: About 2 ft. tall
- Growth rate: Slow
- Habit: Upright with gracefully arching stems
This is a wonderful “tuck-in” shrub for woodland borders—large enough to anchor a bed, yet easy to shape for tighter spaces.
Foliage Color & Stems
- Stems: Striking red
- Foliage: Creamy white and green mottled leaves with scarlet accents
- Season: Evergreen color and texture year-round
Use it to break up “too much green” in foundation plantings and mixed shrub borders—its variegation acts like built-in highlight.
Flowers
- Bloom time: Spring
- Flower color: White
- Flower look: Drooping clusters
- Great for: Cut arrangements
Light Requirements
Performs best in filtered sun to partial shade. This is an excellent choice for bright shade, woodland edges, and beneath high tree canopies.
Watering
- When to water: Water when the top 2 inches of soil is dry
- First season: Water deeply and regularly to establish a strong root system
- Ongoing: Keep moisture consistent, especially during heat or dry spells
Soil, Mulch & Feeding
Rainbow Drooping Leucothoe thrives in humus-rich, well-drained soils. Keep roots cool and happy with a thick layer of mulch.
- Fertilizer: Feed with an acid fertilizer in early spring; repeat after flowering.
- Mulch: Use mulch to conserve moisture and keep roots cool.
- Drainage: Avoid planting in areas that stay waterlogged.
Spacing (Hedge vs. Groundcover)
- As groundcover: Space 2–3 ft. apart
- For faster coverage: Plant a bit closer
- As a hedge: Space closer for a fuller line
Plant spacing can be adjusted depending on whether you want individual shrubs or a continuous ribbon of foliage.
Landscape Uses & Design Ideas
- Landscape uses: Border, hedge, ground cover
- Great for: Foundation planting, mixed shrub beds, woodland gardens, under high shade canopies
- Design tip: Use as a bright “highlight” plant to draw the eye toward a focal point
Resistance & Problem-Solving
- Deer resistant: Yes
- Handles: Very wet areas (with appropriate soil conditions)
- Pollinators: Attracts butterflies and pollinators
Companion Plant Ideas
This leucothoe is a natural woodland companion and pairs beautifully with:
- Rhododendron
- Holly (Ilex)
- Astilbe
- Oregon grape holly (Mahonia)
- Painted fern (Athyrium)
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