Leucothoe
Leucothoe fontanesiana
Also called Dog hobble, Fetterbush and Switch ivy
Garden plant · ShrubsOne of the few good evergreens for DEEP shade, and the arching stems are its whole shape — never shear it into a ball. It wants acid soil, like the pieris and the rhododendron it is usually planted with.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 4 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Part to full shade
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average to high
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 1.5 m tall · 2 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- South-eastern United States
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness, and a slowed heart rate.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A dense lumpy mound with the arching stems cut off halfway. The layered horizontal habit is the entire reason to plant it — take whole stems out at the base instead, and it never needs anything else.Sheared into a ball · disorder
- Round brown blotches with a darker rim on the older leaves, worst in a still damp corner after a wet autumn.Leaf spot · disease