leatherleaf
Chamaedaphne calyculata · Ericaceae
leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) is a perennial shrub in the Ericaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 4 and warmer, down to about -28°F.
At a glance
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 4 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | high USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–6 USDA |
| Bloom | March–April USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | shrub Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having needs consistently moist ground. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 6 — acidic ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 4 ft, making it roughly waist to chest height. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through April. Flowers are white.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is yellow-green, fine in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 35 to 70 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 110 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 8 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
It takes readily from seed, cuttings, bare root and container stock. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated medium, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as rhizomatous.
Role in a guild
Shrub layer. In a layered planting this is woody mid-level structure between the understory and the ground. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis
- greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula
- forage kochia Bassia prostrata
- Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol CHCA2, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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