Leucothoe fontanesiana cv. ‘Scarletta’
Drooping laurel
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 is one of several cultivars.
Plants: Evergeen shrubs are 3′ (91 cm) in size. Stems are green-red, branching rarely. ‘Scarletta’ is denser and slower-growing than its parent.
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: The parent species prefers 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:
9/7/2010 · New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, Boylston, Massachusetts · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 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 | Probably “pertaining to springs or fountains” |
Leucothoe fontanesiana cv. ‘Scarletta’ description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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