Lyonia lucida (Lamarck) K. Koch. Common name: Shining Fetterbush. Phenology: (Dec [southwards-]) Feb-early Jun; Sep-Oct. Habitat: Pocosins, wet woodlands, blackwater swamp forests, other acidic wetlands, especially if peaty. In peninsular FL this species occurs across a remarkable span of soil moistures, from deeply saturated acidic peats upslope into scrubby flatwoods. Distribution: Se. VA south to s. FL and west to e. and c. LA; also in w. Cuba.
ID notes: Readily distinguished by the glossy, coriaceous leaves (dark green above, pale green below) with a prominent vein running along the strictly entire margins. When in flower in large numbers, the odor is cloyingly sweet.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Synonymy ⓘ: = C, F, Fl5, FNA8, G, GW2, K4, RAB, Va, WH3, Judd (1981), Luteyn et al (1996); = Andromeda lucida Lam. = Andromeda nitida W.Bartram ex Marshall; = Desmothamnus lucidus (Lam.) Small — S; = Neopieris nitida (Bartram ex Marshall) Britton; = Pieris nitida (W.Bartram ex Marshall) Benth. & Hook.f. — S13. Basionym: Andromeda lucida Lam. 1783
Links to other floras: = Lyonia lucida - FNA8
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
Heliophily ⓘ: 6
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Horticultural Information
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Height: 6 ft.
plant sale text: Fetterbush lyonia makes a nice evergreen shrub for moist areas, and does well over a range of light levels. Its leaves are dark green and have a lustrous shine throughout the year. It could easily be used as a shrub for screening. In early spring, the ends of its branches are full with small, pink, urn-shaped flowers. Fetterbush lyonia is found in the wild in pocosins and wet savannahs in the coastal plain region of the Southeast. The Lyonia genus supports up to 11 species of lepidoptera.
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native range: southeastern United States
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