Leucothoe grayana
Leucothoe grayana
Safety & Hazards
The fruit is poisonous[1].
Cultivation Details
Requires a lime-free well-drained humus-rich soil and some shade[2, 3]. Requires a moist peaty soil or a sandy loam with added leafmold[4]. Plants are tolerant of transplanting, which is best carried out in the autumn[5]. The flowers are produced on the current years growth[3]. A number of named forms have been developed in Japan for their ornamental value[3]. This species is not mentioned in the 'Flora of China' and so must be considered very doubtfully native there[6]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[5].
Propagation
Seed - sow late winter in a shady part of the greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination is variable. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, August in a frame. Fair to good percentage[7]. Layering in autumn. Takes 12 months. Very high percentage[7]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Leucothoe+grayana>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Chinese Materia Medica. — Stuart. Rev. G. A. · Taipei. Southern Materials Centre · 1911 · ISBN - ↩︎A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
- [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
- [3]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
- [4]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
- [5]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [6]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
- [7]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.