The Joyful Botanist: Dog days of winter
One of the most common evergreen plants you may encounter on a winter’s meander is the doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana), which tends to grow in moist, acidic soil near creeks and along trail sides. Adam Bigelow photo
While winter walks in the woods can sometimes seem devoid of botanical interest, especially for someone as flower-focused as I tend to be, there are plenty of evergreen plants, shrubs and trees to entice me onto a trail in the dormant season while I await the return of wildflowers.
One of the most common evergreen plants you may encounter on a winter stroll is the doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana), which tends to grow in moist, acidic soil near creeks and along trail sides. This member of the heath family (Ericaceae) is a low-growing shrub with arching branches, green glossy leaves that often take on a maroon color in winter and clusters of seed pods that persist through the winter under the leaves.
Doghobble blooms in the springtime with drooping clusters of creamy white bell-shaped, or urceolate flowers, that are pollinated by native bees, butterflies, moths and other generalist pollinating insects. The flowers are born in the axil, which is what we call the connecting point of a leaf and a stalk. While the axillary flowers of doghobble resemble those of its delicious relative the blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) instead of ripening into a sweet and tasty fruit like blueberry, the seeds of doghobble are contained inside a dry, hard capsule that splits open along five seams to release the seeds when they are mature.
These seed capsules develop in fall and will persist on the plant through the winter. As these fruits begin to ripen, they take on the look of a display of miniature pumpkins available for sale at garden centers for your fall decorations. Their diminutive size would only make these “pumpkins” suitable for a mouse’s stoop or a fairy’s cottage.
Among the many varied names that are given to this plant, doghobble is how most of us who live in Southern Appalachia know it. I have also seen it listed as drooping fetterbush, dog-laurel, and switch-ivy. This last one stung a bit until I remembered that mountain-folk used to call mountain-laurel (Kalmia latifolia) “ivy.” That means many a smart-mouthed kid might have been tasked to go cut a switch from the doghobble to teach them a corporal lesson.
Doghobble is a fun common name, though. It stems from the history of raising dogs to hunt bear in these mountains. While being chased through the woods by a pack of howling hounds, the big lumbering bear could crash right through a patch of Leucothoe without being bothered at all. But it would hobble the dogs who would get caught up in the tangled mass of branches. Hence the name doghobble.
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The arching growth habit of doghobble lends itself to providing a bit of safety for the bears, and in its being called “hobble.” There are other plants in the woods with the name hobble in them, including a shrub called witch hobble (Viburnum lantanoides). What connects these hobble plants is the ability of the arching branches to root themselves into the ground whenever the above-ground stem touches the soil. This makes walking through these hobbling plants very difficult for dogs and humans alike.
Doghobble is often used in landscaping applications here in the mountains, and can make a nice addition to a shady, woodland garden with acidic soil like we often find in the South. I tend to prefer its look in the wild over its manicured landscape look. However, it serves a good role of providing evergreen coverage.
If you do find yourself wading through a colony of doghobble, look out for a pack of hunting dogs or a sniveling kid fearful of parental retribution. Maybe y’all could all hide out together. Along with winter birds and small animals, doghobble makes a good shelter and protective space for those hiding from hunters of all kinds.
(The Joyful Botanist leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
