Chamaedaphne calyculata aka Leatherleaf

Chamaedaphne calyculata, or leatherleaf, belongs to the heath family. This shrub keeps its leaves all year. It also goes by the name Cassandra. It is native to subarctic lands and northern Japan. Its range also covers parts of North America. These include Canada and the north-central and eastern United States. It grows in bogs, peaty hollows, and pine barrens. It also grows beside ponds. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

In gardens, it grows about 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 metre] tall and wide. Virginia Tech notes that some plants reach 5 feet [1.5 metres]. It spreads and can form thick stands. Its stems arch and bear tough, shiny, dark green leaves. Leaves grow one at a time along the stem. They often point upward. Their shape ranges from oval to lance-shaped. Their edges are smooth or have slight teeth. The leaves are pale below and darker on top. White or brown scales may cover them. Thin twigs range from reddish brown to gray. They bear small brown buds. The smooth bark is reddish-gray.

Small white flowers hang from the tips of leafy shoots. Each urn-shaped flower grows from a leaf axil, where leaf meets stem. Leaves among the flowers are smaller than the rest. RHS says it blooms in spring. Virginia Tech gives late spring as the bloom time. The round seed pods, called capsules, ripen in late summer. They stay on the plant once ripe. The leaves that last year-round add garden interest. So do the small shrub's spring flowers.

Grow leatherleaf in moist, acid soil that has natural peat. RHS lists loam and allows both good and poor drainage. Give it full sun or partial, dappled shade. It suits bog gardens, woodland edges, and informal garden layouts. RHS says it takes two to five years to mature. To grow new plants, take summer cuttings from partly firm growth. RHS gives it a cold hardiness rating of H6. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 6–9. RHS reports few usual pest or disease problems.

Plants For A Future records leaf drinks and past medical uses. These include leaf poultices, or packs, to ease inflammation. They also include infusions, or steeped drinks, for fever. These past uses do not prove that use is safe. The same source warns that hot water can draw out andromedotoxin. It also mentions cold-brewed leaf tea. This does not prove that the tea is safe either. Treat these reports as records of past use. Do not use them as guides for home remedies.