Overview:

Pipestems, or Agarista populifolia, are evergreen shrubs with fragrant white flowers and deep, green leaves. These shrubs are becoming increasingly popular despite a small natural distribution due to their pleasant appearance and smell – they make especially good hedges and are great for woodland gardens. However, be careful – the pipestem’s leaves are highly toxic and can be fatal to you and your pets.

Latin Name:

The botanical name for pipestems is Agarista populifolia, and they are a member of the Ericaceae family, or heaths. Other plants in this family include common blueberries and cranberries, which fall in the genus Vaccinium, and azalea shrubs, which are classified as Rhododendron. The azaleas, blueberries, and pipestems all share similar care requirements.

Common Names:

Agarista populifolia are commonly called pipestems, Florida leucothoe, fetter-bush, and Florida hobblebush. Its common names are drawn from its natural location – these shrubs are most common in Florida, especially swampy areas in the northern parts of the state.

Preferred USDA Hardiness Zones:

The best zones for pipestems are USDA zones 7-9, though it only grows naturally in zone 8. These plants have fairly small distribution: in general, they only grow in the American southeast, particularly Florida and Georgia.

Size & Shape:

At its maximum size, the pipestem will grow to ten to twelve feet tall and five to ten feet wide.

The plant has upright stems and long, bowing branches; however, it responds well to heavy pruning and can generally be shaped fairly easily.

Exposure:

Pipestems are fairly hardy and can tolerate anything from full shade to sun – however, it performs best in partial to full shade.

Foliage/Flowers/Fruit:

Its leaves are a polished, dark green and generally grow about two to three inches long, tapering off at the end. The leaves initially grow in a coppery-red before maturing to green, and are not prone to leaf spots.

The Agarista populifolia is particularly beloved for its flowers, which are white and pleasingly fragrant. These urn-shaped flowers grow in axillary clusters during the spring and are generally about a third of an inch long.

The pipestem grows small fruit in capsule form.

Design Tips:

These plants will tolerate severe pruning and can generally be a good part of a landscape garden. They also can be used as a hedge. Pipestems are often domestically cultivated in Florida in woodland gardens.

Growing Tips:

Though they grow best in shady, moist areas, pipestems are very hardy shrubs and will tolerate direct sunlight or fairly dry soil, as long as they’re watered. In general, keep them in partial shade and adequately moist and they should thrive. Ideally, their soil should be fairly acidic, but in general Agarista populifolia can tolerate a wide range of soils and conditions.

Pipestems can be propagated through cuttings; once their shoots begin to ripen, sever them from the main plant and root.

Maintenance/Pruning:

These plants can be pruned quite intensively without too many adverse effects, which makes them popular in Florida’s landscape gardens. Prune them to your liking. As for maintenance, the most important thing is to keep them moist – as long as they’re in moist soil or watered regularly while in dry soil, your pipestems should do great.

Pests:

Agarista populifolia are nearly pest-free.

Diseases:

They are also disease-free. Their hardiness against pests and diseases is a large reason for their popularity in the southeastern U.S.