Three-dimensional foliage
Curling, rippling and fine puckering continually change the angle of light across each leaf.
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Leucothoe 'curly red'® 17cm
Normal price
€15,00
What does the legal guarantee mean for plants?
The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.
Leucothoe axillaris ‘Curly Red’®
- Evergreen
- Curled foliage
- Red new growth
- Plantarium Silver 2003
Leucothoe axillaris ‘Curly Red’® compresses all the seasonal theatre of Leucothoe into a small, exceptionally detailed shrub. Each narrow leaf ripples, folds and curls, making the crown appear embossed even at close range. New growth opens red, passes through glossy green and deepens to wine and purple as temperatures fall. No flat surface is left visually inactive.
Its decisive advantage is scale: it fits a shaded entrance, low acid border or elegant pot without losing its collector-quality appearance. This is a plant that rewards close viewing and supplies winter intensity long after most flowers have finished.
Silver award, Plantarium 2003.
What makes it distinctive
‘Curly Red’® is distinguished by three-dimensional foliage and two further characters specific to this exact selection.
Small mature scale
The crown remains around 60 × 40 cm, suited to close viewing and restricted space.
Red in two seasons
Young shoots and winter chilling both restore red-to-wine layers over the green foliage.
Why you will love it: it looks designer-shaped even though its embossed texture is entirely living and natural.
In the garden & on the balconyPlacement & plant pairingsExact position, mature scale and three botanically compatible companions.
Best position
Place at the front of a cool acid planting or in a pot near eye level, where oblique morning light reveals the folds without scorching red shoot tips.
Compatible planting
Combine with Polystichum setiferum, Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ and Carex oshimensis to contrast embossed, flat-dark and linear foliage in the same cool position.
- Polystichum setiferum — the fern’s soft, finely divided fronds add contrasting texture in partial shade with cool, moist but well-drained soil.
- Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ — provides clear foliage contrast and strengthens the palette without competing with the main silhouette.
- Carex oshimensis — adds linear texture and movement without hiding the plant’s characteristic mature outline.
Care at a glance
Light
Bright partial shade or gentle morning sun. Shelter from fierce afternoon sun keeps the foliage glossy and unscorched.
Water
Keep the root zone evenly cool without water standing in the saucer. Use low-mineral water where tap water is very hard.
Climate & hardiness
Cold hardy, but unhappy in dry heat or an alkaline root environment. A cool eastern microclimate is ideal in a Greek summer.
Safety
The foliage is not edible. As with several Ericaceae, ingestion may cause illness and should be prevented.
Detailed careComplete care guideSoil, feeding, pruning and winter management.
Light
Bright partial shade or gentle morning sun. Shelter from fierce afternoon sun keeps the foliage glossy and unscorched.
Water
Keep the root zone evenly cool without water standing in the saucer. Use low-mineral water where tap water is very hard.
Soil & drainage
Use an acidic, humus-rich, aerated ericaceous mix with pine bark and free drainage. Avoid lime and alkaline amendments.
Feeding
Feed acid-loving plants lightly after spring growth starts. Heavy feeding can scorch fine roots and dilute seasonal colour.
Pruning
Shorten wayward shoots immediately after spring flowering and remove old wood at the base. Avoid uniform clipping that masks the natural arching habit.
Winter
It stays in leaf and changes colour in cold weather. Shelter the pot from freezing dry wind and water only as the mix begins to dry.
Development over timeFrom young plant to mature presenceEstablishment, specific architecture and the plant's real mature garden volume.
Initial establishment
During its first season it remains relatively compact while fine roots explore acidic, humus-rich soil. Even root-zone coolness lets coloured new growth emerge without dry margins.
Building its form
The young rounded mass densifies through very short internodes. As shoots multiply, curled leaves overlap to create deeper internal shade and stronger three-dimensional texture.
Mature expression
At maturity it remains genuinely small, about 60 cm high and 40 cm wide, with dense branching and overlapping curled leaves.
Mature habit & dimensions
Long-term maturityHeight approx. 60 cmSpread approx. 40 cmcompact, curled-leaved and rounded
A compact, low evergreen shrub with dense basal branching and strongly curled foliage from base to tip.
Form through time
Seasonal cycleEvergreenShrub habitCurled leaves
SpringNew growth and small white bell-shaped racemes appear near the shoot tips.
Autumn–winterEvergreen foliage develops stronger red and burgundy tones in cool weather.
The foliage remains, while colour intensity changes with light and temperature.
History & originCultivar originA spontaneous mutation of ‘Zeblid’ developed into a distinctive curled-leaf cultivar.
In 1996, within a Dutch crop of Leucothoe ‘Zeblid’, Ron van Opstal noticed a shoot that did not follow the parent plant's flat foliage. Its leaves were strongly puckered and curled while the crown remained small and dense. The distinction was a stable morphological change rather than a temporary growing response.
The selection was isolated and first propagated asexually by stem cuttings in summer 2001 at Boskoop. Subsequent plants retained the curled foliage, red young growth and compact habit. It was shown at Plantarium in August 2003, receiving a Silver award, before its first commercial sale and delivery in August 2004.
In the United States it was protected as a whole-plant mutation of ‘Zeblid’ under US Plant Patent 17,666, while Europe received it as Leucothoe axillaris ‘Curly Red’ with PBR EU 10129. Today's cultivar therefore carries a traceable journey from one unusual branch to an internationally recognised ornamental plant.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific details nobody asked forMechanisms, anatomy, physiology and taxonomic boundaries behind the plant's behaviour.
Differential lamina growth
Stable puckering is morphologically consistent with unequal growth rates among margin, veins and interveinal tissue. When those zones do not extend in synchrony, the blade cannot remain flat.
Visual depth from micro-angles
Repeated small curves direct specular and diffuse reflection at different angles. A single pigment colour therefore appears as multiple bright and dark tones without any chemical colour change.
Frequently asked questions
Six precise answers for ‘Curly Red’®, from its present scale to mature behaviour.
01What does the present size of ‘Curly Red’® mean?
The listed 20–25 cm is its height on arrival. Long-term placement must allow for a mature scale of approx. 60 cm by approx. 40 cm rather than today's young outline.
02Where will ‘Curly Red’® perform best?
Place at the front of a cool acid planting or in a pot near eye level, where oblique morning light reveals the folds without scorching red shoot tips.
03How do I know when ‘Curly Red’® needs water?
Keep the root zone evenly cool without water standing in the saucer. Use low-mineral water where tap water is very hard.
04When should I prune ‘Curly Red’®?
Shorten wayward shoots immediately after spring flowering and remove old wood at the base. Avoid uniform clipping that masks the natural arching habit.
05Is the curled foliage diseased?
No. Stable curling is the defining genetic trait of ‘Curly Red’. Concern is warranted only if sudden distortion appears together with necrosis or insects.
06Why did it turn burgundy in winter?
Cooling favours anthocyanin accumulation while new chlorophyll production slows. The result is a normal, reversible winter palette.
📦 Your plant travels protected
Every order is prepared with care so your plant arrives upright, secure and safe.
Individual protection
Plants in pots with a capacity of 3 litres or more are placed in individual boxes that hold the pot securely and reduce the risk of tipping over.
Sturdy packaging
We use reinforced cardboard designed to protect against impacts and vibration during transport.