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Writer's pictureJulie Borneman

Plant Profile: Leucothe fontanesiana-Doghobble

Updated: Aug 29, 2022


Doghobble courtesy of Smithsonian Institution

We often get requests for evergreen plants. When it comes to native plants there really are not a whole lot of evergreen choices so that makes Leucothe a real winner! Springtime brings lovely drooping flowers on this short bush. It only stands about 2-3 feet high, but can stretch to 10 feet wide. It is the ideal plant for a hillside or anywhere you want to cover a large area but not loose your view.

Doghobble is also know as switch ivy or fetter bush, but the story behind dog hobble is much more interesting. When dog hunting for black bears was popular in the Appalachians, bears used to easily run through Leucothoe, but the dogs would get stuck in the ropey stems of the thickets and lose the bear - earning the name doghobble.

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