Other Names:  Lateiro, Toad Tree, Peschiera fuchsiaefolia

Description:

This medium to large shrub is perfect for screening or borders; stunning, glossy deep green leaves contrast panicles of showy white flowers all season; fruit appears in pairs with the look and texture of toads skin; can be grown in containers

Ornamental Features

Lateira features showy panicles of fragrant white trumpet-shaped flowers with lemon yellow throats at the ends of the branches from late winter to late summer. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage. The glossy narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. It produces tan capsules from mid summer to late fall, which fade to brick red over time. The rough gray bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Lateira is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Lateira is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Lateira will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.

Lateira makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.