Leatherleaf

Chamaedaphne calyculata

Foliage Type:

leaf

Arrangement:

simple, alternate

Distinguishing features: a much-branched, more or less evergreen shrub 1 to 3 feet high spreading or horizontal branches leaves - leathery in texture, 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long leaves - narrowly elliptic or broadest above the middle, pointed at base, bluntly pointed to roundish at tip margin - practically untoothed or with some minute teeth on the slightly rolled margin leaves - dull green dotted with silvery scales above, brownish with minute rusty scales beneath

Habitats:	wet mesic sites wet sites (bogs)
Often confused with:	Bog Rosemary Labrador Tea
Ecological Value:	Fruits and buds eaten by grouse Twigs browsed by snowshoe hare, deer, rabbits
Did You Know?	Flowers bloom in May and may last until June Sems usually end up horizontal - flowers look like they are hanging from a clothesline
Uses / Ethnobotanical uses: