Leucothoe Firestar

Leucothoe 'Firestar' is a small evergreen bush that is highly ornamental all year round thanks to its foliage colours ever-changing according to the season. Its bright red young shoots give way to variegated green leaves edged with cream, which turn purple in winter. Its spreading and compact habit makes it well-suited for decorating shaded terraces and balconies. In spring, it produces slender, short, pendulous clusters of cream-white flowers. This hardy variety thrives in partial shade and acidic soil, and is equally decorative in pots or as ground cover.

Leucothoe (synonym L. fontanesiana) 'Firestar' belongs to the ericaceous group of plants, like heathers and rhododendrons, with which it shares a preference for acidic soil and partial shade. The wild species is a small evergreen bush that grows in the damp undergrowth of the southeastern states of the United States. This 'Firestar' variety has a low, spreading, bushy and compact habit. At maturity, the bush reaches a height of 60 to 90 cm and a width of 90 to 120 cm. Glossy foliage with changing colours is its main feature. The leaves are 6 to 10 cm long, 2 to 3 cm wide, long and tapering, with a pointed tip. Each leaf showcases a dance of changing colours from spring to winter. This bush is also called pearl flower for its spring flowering that appears at the tips of the branches: these are clusters of 7 to 15 cm, made up of slightly fragrant bell-shaped, almost white fowers.

The 'Firestar' Leucothoe thrives in acidic, moist, humus-rich, and well-drained soil. Its low and dense ground-covering silhouette is a perfect "trunk cover" that can be advantageously placed at the base of light trees or shrubs with bare bases. It forms a beautiful combination with nandinas. It can be paired with medium-sized perennials such as hellebores or ferns, winter heathers (Erica darleyensis), in front of shrub borders composed of pernettyas, azaleas, symphorines, or pieris, or even as a standalone plant. It also grows very well in pots, with shade and regular watering. Its presence will add an original touch to the terrace or balcony.