Leucothoe catesbaei (Walter) A. Gray
Leucothoe editorum Fernald & B.G. Schub.
Leucothoe fontanesiana (Steud.) Sleumer
Dog-hobble, mountain doghobble, drooping laurel, fetterbush, highland dog-laurel, highland doghobble
Mountain doghobble is an evergreen shrub native to mountainous regions of the American southeast. I can’t find any definitive information on the source of the name “doghobble.” I had assumed it was because this species is poisonous to dogs, but the prevailing explanation is that bears, pursued by hunters, could escape through thickets of doghobble, while the dogs would be hindered by its intertwined stems. There are several cultivars available.
Plants: Evergeen shrubs are 3–6′ (91–182 cm) tall. Stems are green-red, branching rarely.
Leaves: Leathery, lanceolate, alternate, 1–3 ⨉ ½–1¾″ (3–8 ⨉ 1.5–5 cm). Leaf petioles are ⅜–½″ (1–1.5 cm) long. Leaves have sharp tips and fine serrations. New shoots are bronze-reddish.
Flowers: Pendulous racemes are laden with bunches of 20-60 urn-shaped waxy-looking flowers. They appear from April to June.
Fruits: Capsules are ~3/16″ (5–6 mm) wide, with ellipsoid or oblong seeds.
Habitats: Moist forested mountain areas, dense thickets, stream banks and ravines. Often found near Rhododendron maximum.
Edibility: Poisonous 
Contains grayanotoxins that are toxic
to dogs, cats, and horses. According to the ASPCA, symptoms include “vomiting, diarrhea, depression, cardiovascular collapse, hypersalivation, weakness, coma, low blood pressure, death. Ingestion of a few leaves can cause serious problems.”
Online References:
Leucothoe axillaris (Lam.) D. Don var. editorum (Fernald & B.G. Schub.) H.E. Ahles
Leucothoe catesbaei (Walter) A. Gray
Leucothoe editorum Fernald & B.G. Schub.
Leucothoe catesbaei (Walter) A. Gray
Leucothoe editorum Fernald & B.G. Schub.
5/22/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 12″ (26 × 31 cm) 
8/27/2021 · Harpswell Historic Park, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm) 
5/22/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 3′ (147 × 98 cm) 
8/27/2021 · Harpswell Historic Park, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 13″ (26 × 33 cm) 
8/27/2021 · Harpswell Historic Park, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm) 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) 
5/23/2024 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Ericales | Tea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, azalea, many others |
| Family | Ericaceae | Heath or heather family |
| Genus | Leucothoe | Leucothoe was a princess of Babylon and one of the many loves of the god Apollo |
| Species | fontanesiana | After Réné Louiche Desfontaines (1750-1833), who first described the species as Andromeda lanceolata, a name which had previously been applied by Wallich to a different species |
Leucothoe fontanesiana description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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