Habitat

• native to Massachusetts down through Florida
• hardy to zone 3

Habit and Form

• an evergreen, low-growing shrub
• 4" to 6" high
• 2' wide
• dense, mat formation
• medium texture
• medium growth rate

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• simple, evergreen leaves
• oblong to ovate leaf shape
• 1" to 3" long
• rough pubescent surface
• dark green leaf color
• thick and leathery texture

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color, evergreen

Flowers

• whitish pink flowers
• small
• very fragrant
• blooms in April
• flowers borne in terminal racemes

Fruit

• white berry-like fruit
• 0.5" in diameter
• matures in early fall

Bark

• hard to see
• not ornamentally important

Culture

• hard to transplant, best if transplanted from container
• prefers an acidic, sandy soil
• shade loving plant
• needs mycorrhizal association to grow well

Landscape Use

• groundcover
• under evergreen forests
• for fragrant flowers

Liabilities

• hard to grow
• hard to transplant
• hard to find

ID Features

• small, evergreen groundcover
• alternate, simple leaves
• leaves have a rough surface and a thick texture
• whitish pink flowers, fragrant

Propagation

• by laying
• by cuttings
• by division

Cultivars/Varieties

• few and hard to find