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Leatherleaf

Chamaedaphne calyculata

Found in pocosins in the Coastal Plain, bogs in the Mountains, Chamaecyparis bogs, wet pine flatwood ecotones, other saturated, acid, peaty or peaty/sandy situations. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

66
Strong

Native to West Virginia (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
About 4 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Moist to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Evergreen
Bloom
Early spring
Fruiting season
June to October

Not yet recorded · Spread

County records are not available.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

12CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Chamaedaphne

  • Acleris maculidorsanaStained-Back Leafroller Moth
  • Choristoneura obsoletanaObsolete Leafroller
  • Choristoneura parallelaParallel-Banded Leafroller, Spotted Fireworm Moth
  • Datana majorMajor Datana, Azalea Caterpillar
  • Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
  • Melanchra assimilisBlack Arches
  • Metarranthis obfirmariaYellow-Washed Metarranthis
  • Sphinx gordiusApple Sphinx
  • Spiramater lutraDarling Mamestra, Splashed Arches, Otter Spiramater, Otter Arches
  • Xestia dilucidaDull Reddish Dart, Reddish Heath Dart
Show all 12
  • Xylena nuperaRed Swordgrass Moth, American Swordgrass Moth, False Armyworm
  • Aroga argutiola
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Chamaedaphne

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
2Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Chamaedaphne

  • Andrena bradleyi
  • Colletes validus
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Chamaedaphne

  • Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Ericaceae
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Yellow-green
Fruit begins
June
Fruit ends
October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Cassandra calyculata

Conservation status

West Virginia rankSNR
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources