Inject some colour into your garden with Leucothoe

With foliage like this, who needs flowers?

If you’re looking to brighten up your garden now the last of summer’s flowers have faded, the leucothoe could offer you just the flash of colour you need. But while this majestic plant (evergreen or deciduous, depending on its species) could indeed reward you with a burst of pretty flowers in the spring months, its autumn vibrancy is all down to its formidable foliage.

Leucothoe plant

Good looking and low maintenance

Thanks to its elegant arching stems and tapered leaves, which can intensify over the winter months into a rich reddish copper hue, the leucothoe promises to make an attractive statement in any garden – and thanks to its hardy, easy care nature, we really do mean pretty much any garden.

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Choose from the coppery-red foliage of leucothoe keiskei (‘royal ruby’), the deep pink vibrancy of leucothoe ‘Scarletta’ or the variegated beauty of leucothoe rainbow, which has white, pink and bronze new growth.

How to care for your leucothoe …

The leucothoe is not only beautiful, it’s surprisingly low-maintenance, too, thriving in most conditions from full sun to heavy shade, and anything from well drained to moist soil. Just make sure it doesn’t get waterlogged and it will get along just fine.

Although it will cope with most soil types, slightly acidic soil is the leucothoe’s dream terrain, so keep it in tip-top condition with an occasional acid feed.

And don’t be perturbed if you’ve got an exposed garden, the leucothoe is pretty tolerant of strong winds and extreme conditions.

Where to plant it…

For a riot of colour, plant your leucothoe with foliage of contrasting shades of green, such as the golden tones of ‘golden spirit’, the lime green intensity of lime hostas or Japanese maples, or the frosted finish of ‘silver dust’.

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