Mountain Doghobble
Leucothoe fontanesiana
Arching evergreen for shaded slopes and stream banks. Glossy leaves turn burgundy in winter, fragrant white bells hang in spring. Deer leave it alone.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The most elegant native evergreen groundcover for moist deep shade. arching stems, bronze winter color, fragrant spring bells.
Mountain doghobble is the arching, graceful native evergreen for shaded stream banks and moist woodland floors. The long, lance-shaped leaves are deep glossy green through most of the year, turning bronze-purple to deep burgundy in fall and winter on plants that get some light, a color shift that's genuinely striking against snow or winter mulch. In spring, pendulous racemes of white, fragrant, lily-of-the-valley-type bells hang below the branches. It spreads slowly by stolons to form sweeping, layered colonies that are elegant in a woodland setting. The arching habit means individual stems reach out horizontally, creating a flowing ground cover effect unlike any other native evergreen. Deer won't touch it. It's a plant for the north-facing slope, the shaded ravine, the area under rhododendrons where nothing else fills in. Available in fall only at Hill House.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown mountain doghobble propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant mountain doghobble instead of Nandina (Nandina domestica) in shaded borders. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Part shade
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 2.5–5 ft · 5–8 ft wide
- Bloom time
- Spring
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 5–8
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Native range
- Appalachian mountains from Virginia to Georgia along stream banks and moist ravines
Care notes for mountain doghobble.
Moist, acidic, well-drained soil in part to full shade. Absolutely not for dry or alkaline sites. Mulch with pine bark or shredded oak leaves to maintain moisture and acidity. Minimal pruning; remove oldest stems to the ground every few years to encourage fresh arching new growth. In harsh winters, leaves may brown but the plant typically regenerates fully.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside mountain doghobble.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.