Leucothoe Firestar
Leucothoe Firestar
Leucothoe walteri Firestar
Thank you for this beautiful young plant.
SHINRA TENSEI, 04/10/2025
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Description
Leucothoe 'Firestar' is a small evergreen bush that is highly ornamental all year round thanks to its foliage colours ever-changing according to the season. Its bright red young shoots give way to variegated green leaves edged with cream, which turn purple in winter. Its spreading and compact habit makes it well-suited for decorating shaded terraces and balconies. In spring, it produces slender, short, pendulous clusters of cream-white flowers. This hardy variety thrives in partial shade and acidic soil, and is equally decorative in pots or as ground cover.
Leucothoe (synonym L. fontanesiana) 'Firestar' belongs to the ericaceous group of plants, like heathers and rhododendrons, with which it shares a preference for acidic soil and partial shade. The wild species is a small evergreen bush that grows in the damp undergrowth of the southeastern states of the United States. This 'Firestar' variety has a low, spreading, bushy and compact habit. At maturity, the bush reaches a height of 60 to 90 cm and a width of 90 to 120 cm. Glossy foliage with changing colours is its main feature. The leaves are 6 to 10 cm long, 2 to 3 cm wide, long and tapering, with a pointed tip. Each leaf showcases a dance of changing colours from spring to winter. This bush is also called pearl flower for its spring flowering that appears at the tips of the branches: these are clusters of 7 to 15 cm, made up of slightly fragrant bell-shaped, almost white fowers.
The 'Firestar' Leucothoe thrives in acidic, moist, humus-rich, and well-drained soil. Its low and dense ground-covering silhouette is a perfect "trunk cover" that can be advantageously placed at the base of light trees or shrubs with bare bases. It forms a beautiful combination with nandinas. It can be paired with medium-sized perennials such as hellebores or ferns, winter heathers (Erica darleyensis), in front of shrub borders composed of pernettyas, azaleas, symphorines, or pieris, or even as a standalone plant. It also grows very well in pots, with shade and regular watering. Its presence will add an original touch to the terrace or balcony.
Leucothoe Firestar in pictures
Plant habit
Flowering
Foliage
Botanical data
Leucothoe
walteri
Firestar
Ericaceae
Leucothoe fontanesiana Firestar
Cultivar or hybrid
Planting and care
Place Leucothoe 'Firestar' in shade or partial shade in moist, humus-bearing, acid to neutral soil. Like all plants that require acid soil, it does not tolerate limestone soils, nor dry or heavy soils that are waterlogged in winter. Dig a hole three times the size of the pot. Soak the root ball in water and plant the bush at the level of the collar, in a mixture composed of well decomposed leaf compost, gravel or pumice, and ericaceous soil. Water generously and keep the soil moist in summer, for example by applying mulch around the base of the plant.
Planting period
Intended location
Care
Planting & care advice
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a (East Coast and Midlands: Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Portlaoise). It will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the north-west (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal, Westport), delay planting by 1 to 2 weeks in spring and bring it forward by 1 to 2 weeks in autumn compared to the dates given, preferably choosing periods without strong winds.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (Wicklow Mountains, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Connemara, Killarney), it is best to plant in spring (April–May) or autumn (September–October), avoiding periods of waterlogged soil in winter and strong winds, which pose the main risk to newly planted trees in these areas.
The flowering period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a, such as the East Coast and Midlands, including Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Portlaoise.
This will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the northwest (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal and Westport), it will be delayed by one to two weeks compared to the given dates, due to stronger Atlantic winds and less spring sunshine.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (the Wicklow Mountains, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Connemara and Killarney), flowering will be delayed by two to three weeks. Flowering mainly occurs between May and July, with the limiting factors being less frost and more of the excessive humidity, strong winds and lack of sunshine that are characteristic of these areas.
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