Leucothoe keiskei Halloween

The Leucothoe keiskei 'Halloween' is a small evergreen bush with very ornamental foliage, perfectly hardy, whose compact habit wonderfully suits the decoration of half-shaded terraces and balconies. Its beautiful shiny red stems carry long leaves whose shades vary with the seasons. The young orange shoots turn green in summer, then in autumn and winter, the leaves take on beautiful burgundy red colours. Perfect also in a wash of plants in heather soil, this hardy variety likes half-shaded situations or filtered sun. 

The Leucothoe is a plant of the Ericaceae family, like the Heathers, Rhododendrons and a hundred other genus, many of which have real ornamental value (Kalmia, Oxydendrum, Arbutus). This modest-sized evergreen bush grows in the moist and peaty undergrowth of Japan. It is native to the island of Honshu (the largest in Japan).
We owe this recent 'Halloween' variety to the breeder Ron van Opstal from the Netherlands, where it won a gold medal as well as a "best novelty" distinction in 2014 at the GrootGroenPlus Fair (International Nursery Fair). With slow growth, it forms a dense and compact bush, about 80 cm (31.5 in) high and 50 wide. The thin branches have a characteristic zigzag growth: at each new petiole, the stem goes off at an angle until the next leaf. These are long and very narrow, slightly undulate and with a shiny surface. In the spring, the young shoots are orange to brown, then they turn a beautiful bright green in summer. When autumn comes, and during the winter, they take on a dark red to burgundy colour. This changing evergreen foliage and its bushy habit make this small bush very decorative all year round. At the end of April and in May, small white flowers appear, too discreet to be really decorative. This Leucothoe is very hardy, down to -20 °C and even colder, it likes a neutral to acidic soil, definitely not limestone, well-drained, remaining moist in summer. It grows in not too bright sun and also in half-shade, does not require pruning and is very resistant to diseases. 

Very decorative in all seasons, this Leucothoe will be perfect as a border plant, or interspersed between large bushes or at the foot of trees. Its truly graphic appearance will be well suited to contemporary gardens, it will also be at home in a Japanese-style garden or within a bed of ericaceous plants. Its very fine foliage will look wonderful among the Camellia japonica with chunkier leaves and bright flowers. It will be a good companion for the rare Magnolia sieboldii with its tender green foliage, forming a contrast of shape and colour. Its fancy foliage will bring joy alongside the somewhat austere leaves of the Kalmia latifolia, the Mountain Laurel, which in return will gift its magnificent pink flowering. 'Halloween' will also form a very beautiful scene at the foot of the Hydrangea aspera Macrophylla, whose large villous foliage contrasts beautifully with our small Leucothoe.