Lyonia ligustrina: Country Or Region Of Origin
Easter U.S.A., NC
Plant Profile: Lyonia ligustrina
Taxonomy: Lyonia ligustrinaNames
Lyonia, Maleberry
Phonetic Spelling:ly-OH-nee-ah lig-oo-STREE-nah
Genus:Lyonia
Species:ligustrina
Family:Ericaceae
Maleberry is a deciduous shrub indigenous to low-lying alluvial forests, thickets, wet meadows, bogs, and lakesides. This plant thrives in moist, moderately drained, acidic soils and prefers partial to full sunlight. It generally reaches a width comparable to its height and produces urn-shaped flowers in the spring and early summer. Since it flowers on the growth from the previous year, it is best to prune it after the blooming period.
Consider incorporating it into a shrub border or using it as a hedge in a woodland, rain, or water garden setting.
Lyonia ligustrina Feature Summary
Lyonia ligustrina Image Gallery
Tags
#evergreen
#water garden
#rain garden
#wildlife plant
#honey bees
#nectar plant
#native shrub
#native bees
#hedges
#wet sites
#stream banks
#pond margins
#honey
#specialized bees
#NC native
#acidic soil tolerant
#pollinator plant
#wet soils tolerant
#problem for cats
#problem for dogs
#bee friendly
#problem for horses
#bog gardens
#woodlands
#shrub borders
Similar Plants
Lyonia ligustrina Feature Summary
Attributes
Easter U.S.A., NC
AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WV
Maleberry is a nectar plant and produces good tasting honey. Members of the genus Lyonia support the following specialized bees: Colletes productu and Melitta (Cilissa) melittoides.
Woody
Fruit
The 5-parted seed capsule splits open when ripe.
Capsule
Green
Brown/Copper
Summer
Flowers
White flowers in spring and early summer on previous season's growth. Small, white or pink, urn-shaped and drooping, in terminal clusters
Pink
White
Raceme
Spring
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
Ovate grey-green leaves covered with fine hairs are 1.5- 3 inches long with a pointed tip. The fall color is orange-red.
Deciduous
Green
Gray/Silver
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Oblong
Entire
Serrate
1-3 inches
1-3 inches
Bark
Brown to reddish-brown with long horizontal splits developing.
Dark Brown
Red/Burgundy
Poisonous to Humans
Signs of Toxicity occur usually within six hours of consuming the plant. Symptoms include lack of coordination, excessive salivation, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, weakness, muscular spasms, watering of eyes and nose, slow pulse, colic, ataxia, depression, sweating, tingling of skin, convulsions, paralysis, coma, and sometimes even death. Toxicity in sheep, goats, cattle, and horses is most likely to occur in late winter or early spring when other forage is not available. Livestock are found down, unable to stand with their head weaving from side to side.
Andromedotoxin, Resinoid, Glucoside, Arbutin, Grayanotoxins
High
Leaves
Sap/Juice
Flowers
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Tree
Native Plant
Poisonous
Deciduous
Multi-stemmed
Erect
Spreading
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Stem
Landscape
Rain Garden
Water Garden
Border
Hedge
Wet Soil
Woodland
Riparian
Pond
Pollinators
Specialized Bees
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Lyonia ligustrina Image Gallery
Lyonia ligustrina Attributes
Lyonia ligustrina: Distribution
AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WV
Lyonia ligustrina: Wildlife Value
Maleberry is a nectar plant and produces good tasting honey. Members of the genus Lyonia support the following specialized bees: Colletes productu and Melitta (Cilissa) melittoides.
Lyonia ligustrina: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Lyonia ligustrina Fruit
Lyonia ligustrina: Fruit Description
The 5-parted seed capsule splits open when ripe.
Lyonia ligustrina: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Lyonia ligustrina: Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
Green
Lyonia ligustrina: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Lyonia ligustrina Flowers
Lyonia ligustrina: Flower Description
White flowers in spring and early summer on previous season's growth. Small, white or pink, urn-shaped and drooping, in terminal clusters
Lyonia ligustrina: Flower Color
Pink
White
Lyonia ligustrina: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Lyonia ligustrina: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Lyonia ligustrina: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Lyonia ligustrina: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Lyonia ligustrina: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Lyonia ligustrina Leaves
Lyonia ligustrina: Leaf Description
Ovate grey-green leaves covered with fine hairs are 1.5- 3 inches long with a pointed tip. The fall color is orange-red.
Lyonia ligustrina: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Lyonia ligustrina: Leaf Color
Gray/Silver
Green
Lyonia ligustrina: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Lyonia ligustrina: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Lyonia ligustrina: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Lyonia ligustrina: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Lyonia ligustrina: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Lyonia ligustrina: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Lyonia ligustrina: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Lyonia ligustrina: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Lyonia ligustrina Bark
Lyonia ligustrina: Bark Description
Brown to reddish-brown with long horizontal splits developing.
Lyonia ligustrina: Bark Color
Dark Brown
Red/Burgundy
Lyonia ligustrina Poisonous to Humans
Lyonia ligustrina: Poison Symptoms
Signs of Toxicity occur usually within six hours of consuming the plant. Symptoms include lack of coordination, excessive salivation, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, weakness, muscular spasms, watering of eyes and nose, slow pulse, colic, ataxia, depression, sweating, tingling of skin, convulsions, paralysis, coma, and sometimes even death. Toxicity in sheep, goats, cattle, and horses is most likely to occur in late winter or early spring when other forage is not available. Livestock are found down, unable to stand with their head weaving from side to side.
Lyonia ligustrina: Poison Toxic Principle
Andromedotoxin, Resinoid, Glucoside, Arbutin, Grayanotoxins
Lyonia ligustrina: Poison Severity
High
Low
Medium
Lyonia ligustrina: Causes Contact Dermatitis
No
Yes
Lyonia ligustrina: Poison Part
Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems
Lyonia ligustrina Whole Plant Traits
Lyonia ligustrina: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Lyonia ligustrina: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Lyonia ligustrina: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Lyonia ligustrina Cultural Conditions
Lyonia ligustrina: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Lyonia ligustrina: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Lyonia ligustrina: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Lyonia ligustrina: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Lyonia ligustrina: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Lyonia ligustrina: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Lyonia ligustrina Stem
Lyonia ligustrina: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Lyonia ligustrina Landscape
Lyonia ligustrina: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Lyonia ligustrina: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Lyonia ligustrina: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Lyonia ligustrina: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Lyonia ligustrina: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Lyonia ligustrina: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
