Lyonia lucida (Fetter Bush)

Very showy when in flower, Lyonia lucida (Fetter Bush) is a graceful, arching and sprawling, evergreen shrub prized for its sweetly fragrant, palest shell-pink to white urn-shaped flowers. Blooming in early to late spring, they are borne in drooping clusters of 10-15 blossoms and appear in axillary clusters before the new growth. The flowers are attractive to bees and other pollinators. The elliptic to oval, leaves, 2-4 in. long (5-10 cm), are leathery and shiny dark green. Native to the southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States, Fetter Bush occurs naturally in bogs, wet savannas, cypress swamps, wet pine flatwoods, peaty thickets and along stream banks. It also occasionally occurs in dry uplands. Slow-growing, it is a desirable evergreen shrub for the shade garden and for naturalizing in areas with moist to seasonally wet soils.

• Grows up to 3-6 ft. tall and wide (90-180 cm). Will spread by root suckers and rhizomes to form colonies over time.
• Performs best in part shade in moist, acidic, organically rich, well-drained soils. Tolerates full sun, periodically flooded and poorly drained soils.
• Perfect for shrub borders, informal hedges, woodland gardens, cottage gardens and along ponds and streams.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for leaf spot.
• No maintenance required except cutting back to keep it at a desired height.
• Propagate by seed, root cuttings and root division. Sow seeds in spring (no treatment).
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.
• Native to the southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States, from southeastern Virginia, throughout south-central peninsular Florida, west to Louisiana. Also native to Cuba.