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Agarista populifolia
Agarista populifolia (Lam.) W.S. Judd
Florida Hobblebush, Tall Fetterbush, Florida Leucothoe, Agarista
Ericaceae (Heath Family)
Synonym(s): Andromeda populifolia, Leucothoe acuminata, Leucothoe populifolia, Leucothoe walteri
USDA Symbol: agpo2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Florida-hobblebush or Florida leucothoe is a broadleaf evergreen, usually 8-12 ft. high, with a lax, arching, multi-stemmed habit. Its rich, glossy-green foliage, tinged with red on new growth, remains green through the winter. Cream-colored, fragrant flowers are borne in profuse axillary clusters.
From the Image Gallery
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 20 feet tall, often shorter.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: WhiteBloom Time: May , Jun
Distribution
USA: FL , GA , NC , SCNative Habitat: Wet hammocks & woodlands.
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: ShadeSoil Description: Cool, moist, acid, fertile soil.
Conditions Comments: This plant tends to sucker and can be used for stabilization along moist, shady, stream banks. It can be maintained at any height with proper pruning. Agarista populifolia is considered superior to Leucothoe axillaris and L. fontanesiana,at least for southern areas, and is not as susceptibe to leaf scorch as L. fontanesiana.
Propagation
Description: Easily rooted from cuttings in late summer or fall.Commercially Avail: yes
Mr. Smarty Plants says
Identification of plant with bell-shaped flowers
January 03, 2008
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I am in need of a plant name to purchase. It is absolutely beautiful. The plant has light green leaves, the flowers that bloom look like bells (of course they hang upside down...
view the full question and answer
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACW | OBL | FACW |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Bibliography
Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. WasowskiBibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
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Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Research Literature
Reslit 703 - A Taxonomic Revision of the American Species of Agarista (Ericaceae) (1984) W. S. JuddReslit 896 - Agarista populifolia (2011) K. M. Mattson
Reslit 1147 - North Florida Landscape Plants for Shaded Sites (1992) F. Regulski and D. Marshall
Reslit 1501 - A Flora of Gold Head Branch Ravine and Adjacent Uplands, Clay County, Florida (1985) D. L. White and W. S. Judd
This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
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Additional resources
USDA: Find Agarista populifolia in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Agarista populifolia in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Agarista populifolia
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-10-13Research By: TWC Staff