Chamaedaphne Species, Cassandra, Leatherleaf

I bought a potted specimen at a native plant nursery near Phoenixville, PA, about 1.5 years ago. Their ground soil is not very acid, so t...Read Morehey can't grow it in the ground without amending the soil. The same is true for my southeast Pennsylvania soil in my yard that is a good, brown clay that is barely acid too, having limestone parent soil. Therefore, I planted my plant into a big pot and amended the potting soil with an acidifier of sulfur and iron sulfate granuals. So far it is doing well. Jenkins Arboretum has a few plants doing well along their boggy pond near Berwyn, PA. I saw a whole bunch of wild plants growing in the sandy, acid soil of the pine barrens of southern New Jersey on a kayaking trip along a big creek, that had dark water stained by the Eastern Whitecedar (Chamaecyparis thyroides) trees along the banks. There is also a lot of this species growing in masses in the acid, bog soil of the Thomas Darling Preserve near Blakeslee, PA in the southern Poconos. The foliage often turns bronzy in winter, so it is normal. (I should have sunk my pot in the ground and really sheltered it from winds during the harsh winter of 2014-15 when it turned up dead in spring of 2015.)

Leatherleaf is an interesting plant if you are looking for companions for a rhododendron bed. They are very early blooming with typical ...Read Moreblueberry-like flowers. The foliage turns brownish in winter, but goes green to bronze-green in summer. The leaves are fragrant when rubbed. They can stand water but will also grow OK if kept reasonably moist. Acidic soil is a must.