Leucothoe keiskei 'Opstal50' BURNING LOVE® leucothoe
size/type
small shrub,small shrub
usual height
0,3-0,4m
usual width
0,3-0,6m
leaves
evergreen broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
insignificant or non-blooming
location
full sun to shade
soil type
acidic (peaty)
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist (dislikes drought)
USDA zone (lowest)
5b (down to -27°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Leucothoe genus is a relatively new group of plants in Central Europe, and gains more and more attention and admirers, including me. They are low or prostrate evergreen shrubs with leathery leaves and usually excellent hardiness. Dutch breeder Ron van Opstal from Zundert has already selected a few evergreen plants including leucothoe, and BURNING LOVE® is a trade name for his 2013 introduction that is protected by European Breeders Rights under No. 20131363.
Description of the plant:
BURNING LOVE® leucothoe is a keiskei species i.e. it makes narrowly lanceolate leaves with a conspicuous tip. They are evergreen, leathery, very glossy, and change colours from crimson red when they emerge to dark green when mature, and dark burgundy red from autumn till spring, when they revert back to green. The habit is very uniform and compact as opposed to the older keiskei variety Royal Ruby. The foliage may resemble rhododendron Graziella. Pruning is usually not needed but can be done in early spring.Leucothoe grows naturally in woodlands under trees which means that it is used to anything from filtered sun to deep shade. However, in our tests it proved to live happily in full sun, too, if given sufficient moisture.
As an ericaceous plant it requires soil that is light, acidic, and constantly moist (not wet). If your garden soil is too heavy do not dig a deep hole but make a shallow and wide bed topped up with a good mixture of peat, fine bark chips, and leaf (forest) litter. Keep the soil moist by mulching. Slow-release fertilizers are advised. Very hardy to about -27°C (USDA zone 5b) and suitable for outdoor pots.
Last update 22-01-2014
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GLOSSARY
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
