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Loiseleuria procumbens
Loiseleuria procumbens (L.) Desv.
Alpine Azalea, Alpine-azalea, Dwarf Azalea
Ericaceae (Heath Family)
Synonym(s): Azalea procumbens, Chamaecistus procumbens, Kalmia procumbens
USDA Symbol: LOPR
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N), GL (N), SPM (N)
From the tufted branchlets of this matted shrub are borne pairs of tiny, oblong, closely-set leaves and abundant clusters of dainty flowers. Each flower, a rose to white bell, is perched upright in the cluster. Plants are no taller than 1/2 ft. A creeping, much-branched, mat-forming, dwarf shrub with 2-5 pink, bell-shaped flowers in terminal clusters and evergreen leaves with rolled edges.
In the Northeast this showy, prostrate shrub is especially common above the tree line on Mount Washington, New Hampshire. It is frequently found with Lapland Rosebay (Rhododendron lapponicum) or Diapensia (Diapensia lapponica).
From the Image Gallery
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 6 inches tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , PinkBloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug
Distribution
USA: AK , ME , NH , NY , WACanada: NL , NT , NU , QC , YT
Native Distribution: Circumpolar, s. through most of AK & Yukon
Native Habitat: Alpine & arctic tundra; gravelly slopes
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: Part ShadeSoil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Cool, moist, rocky or peaty, acid soils.
Benefit
Warning: The leaves, seeds, and roots of some plants of the Lobelia genus contain poisonous substances and have caused fatalities in humans and animals when ingested. All plants in the genus may contain toxins and should not be ingested. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with a person’s age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Toxicity can vary in a plant according to season, the plant’s different parts, and its stage of growth; and plants can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.Conspicuous Flowers: yes
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACU | FACW | FACW | FACW |
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 34 - Go Botany (2019) Native Plant Trust
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Loiseleuria procumbens in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Loiseleuria procumbens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Loiseleuria procumbens
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-02-17Research By: TWC Staff