Leucothow walteri ‘Rainbow’
Syn. L. fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’
“Leucothoe”
ERICACEAE

Evergreen Shrub

Zone: 8 – 10
Native habitat: S.E. USA

Conditions
Soil: humus
Moisture: well-drained, average water, tolerant of some drought once established (as long as part-shade)
Light: full sun to part shade
Exposure: protect from winter winds; can take the seaside
Plant size (h x w): 4′ – 5′  x 4′ – 6′
Other:  will take a good variety of conditions (will tolerate full shade)

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: arching, oval, multi-stemmed
Leaf: simple, alternate, lancolate, serrate, leathery, variegated / mottled green, pale yellow, pink’ turn red in fall
Flower: raceme, creamy, urn-shaped flower (similar flower to a heather)
Bloom: April – May
Other: fruit: insignificant capsule, brown colour, seen through summer months

Treatment (How to…)
Plant: general;
Maintain:  low maintenance, prune out the old branches, can prune to be formal or informal hedge or selective prune to be low, as low as 1.5′
Propagate:  cutting, seed

 Uses
Landscape: hedge (formal/informal), mixed shrub boarder, woodland margin, boarder, under-planting for larger shrub, cottage, city
Companion planting:
Medicinal: not known
Other:

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant;
Deer resistant: unknown
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase): 
Nature: unique variegated leaves, useful evergreen shrub
Identification (key features): multi-colour of variegation on alternate, rubbery, lanceolate leaves (dark-green/mottled cream and pink, short red petiole); flowers white, urn-shaped, terminal and auxilliary racemes; leaf buds red, scale-covered, in leaf axils.
Interesting facts:
Cultivars/Species:
Comments: