Rhodoleia championii David Geiger Root-hardy to about zone 8

Root-hardy to about zone 8 with a deep winter mulch

The species grows in hardwood forests and along dry slopes and ridges from north-central Alabama east through western Georgia and into South Carolina

Birds eventually strip the berries

that gives the leaflet the outline of a Christmas stocking

part-shaded corner and the summer fragrance can be met in passing: a pond edge

Rhodoleia championii David Geiger Root-hardy to about zone 8A rare evergreen shrub or small tree from southern China and the neighboring subtropics, Rhodoleia championii is a connoisseur's plant, dramatic in bloom, refined in habit, and quietly excellent the year round. Thick, glossy, rounded leaves cloak the plant in deep green, and their softly glaucous, blue gray undersides catch the light and every passing breeze, giving even the out of flower plant a handsome, layered presence. In the cool season and into