It’s November – time for your evergreens to step up to the plate and give the garden the interest it deserves! Few broadleaf evergreens have striking fall and winter color like Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Scarletta’. The glossy green foliage turns deep burgundy-red as the temperatures drop. The color lasts through the winter then pushes new growth in spring to the tune of bright red. The flowers are interesting tight clusters on the stems and the alternate leaf pattern along arching branches is beautiful against any background. It will grow about 18-24″ high x 3-4′ wide – a very useful size when it comes to the front of the border, small gardens and as a bottom tier plant. They also look great in seasonal containers!

Leucothoe is a native plant that’s found growing along streams in the hills of Virginia to Georgia and Tennessee, so take your cue from that and plant them away from drying winter winds in moist acidic soil high in organic matter in partial sun to shade. Zone (4)5-8.