An attractive U.S. woodland native in the mountains from Virginia to Georgia and Tennessee, Rollison Fetterbush is a good shrub for an ericaceous border, a shade garden, or as a backdrop for floral plantings. It naturalizes well with rhodendrons, azaleas, Oregon Grape Holly, (Mahonia aquifolium) and Camellia sasanqua. In spring racemes of small white urn-shaped flowers are borne along the graceful arching branches. Its shiny leathery leaves are green until fall when they take on a beet-red color.
Type: Evergreen shrub.
Outstanding Feature: white spring flowers; red fall foliage.
Form: Pendulous.
Growth Rate: Moderate to rapid.
Bloom: Racemes of small white urn-shaped flowers in spring.
Size: 6’ H x 6+’ W.
Light: Partial sun.
Soil: Well drained, rich in organic matter.
Fertilizer: Feed with acid fertilizer after bloom.
Hardiness: Zones 5-8.
Care: Keep roots cool with thick mulch; water regularly when top 3” of soil is dry.
Pests and Diseases: None of importance.
Propagation: Spreads by suckers; root cuttings.
Comments: Deer resistant. Native Americans used an infusion made from the plant to treat skin problems.
Karen Meyers