| General Description | Phyllodoce empetriformis is part of the Ericaceae (Heath or Heather) family and is described as a dwarf-like/erect evergreen shrub. The stems have dense, dark green, needle-like foliage and are tipped with clusters of bell-shaped, purplish pink, pendent-style flowers. |
| ID Characteristic | Phyllodoce empetriformis has a pinkish-red flower in a bell-shape that blooms mid-July to August. It is a vascular plant that grows into a matted shrub shape, low to the ground. |
| Shape | This hardy evergreen typically grows as a matted shrub, low to the ground with stems that are erect, finely haired and glandular, becoming glabrous. |
| Landscape | Phyllodoce empetriformis is a native evergreen shrub accustomed to thriving in shaded areas and is included in flower and rock gardens. It is sometimes found with the yellow-flowered Phyllodoce glanduliflora, with which it hybridizes. In the past, the plant once generally grown in gardens as Phyllodoce empetriformis is not the true species but is rather Phyllodoce intermedia, a hybrid plant of Phyllodoce empetriformis and Phyllodoce glanduliflora. |
| Propagation | To propagate Phyllodoce empetriformis, a cutting of either the stem tip or the stem heel is collected in late June or in September/October using an 8000ppm indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) compound to assist with rooting. The cutting is kept in a misted greenhouse over the winter to obtain a higher root percentage. Before starting the treatment process of the cutting, it must first be kept in a moist, refrigerated environment. The stem tip or stem heel cutting is typically placed with a subterranean
wood. The cuttings are then treated with 1,000 ppm liquid IBA and placed into a rooting media mixture of 1:1 peat and perlite with root/soil material collected from the rhizosphere of field plants. Once roots
start to form (about eight weeks), the cuttings are transplanted to a mistbed with a shade cover in an outdoor nursery for four weeks, with misting for six seconds every six minutes. Once the four weeks are
done, the cuttings are moved to a full sun, irrigated outdoor nursery. The bottom of each bed is typically heated to 21 C, and cables run 12 cm under the rooting media. It typically takes 10 weeks for the P. empetriformis to become established and two years for the shrub to become fully grown. |
| Cultivation | Phyllodoce empertriformis grows natively in moist soil on a minimum slope of 6 m in western North America. Additionally, this evergreen shrub does best in partial shade and while it will grow in poorer soil conditions, it tends to thrive in a moist soil media mix of sandy or rocky soil with peat. |
| Pests | Although there are no known insects or diseases that directly affect Phyllodoce empetriformis, there is one predator that threatens the livelihood of this plant. As this plant largely grows in alpine regions and heath meadows, it has become a target of human trampling. In the early spring months when the snow cover has started to melt, the plant becomes most vulnerable to trampling which can lead to irreversible erosion. With hiking becoming increasingly popular, humans are not respecting designated paths that have been provided for them and are
venturing off-trail. This leads to plants like Phyllodoce empetriformis getting trampled, which directly affects their growth and viability within alpine areas. |
| Notable Specimens | Phyllodoce empetriformis is native to the west coast of North America and is publicly available for viewing within the Olympic National Park in the state of Washington. |
| Habitat | Phyllodoce empetriformis is found in very cold conditions within alpine tundra, subalpine boreal forests, high elevation forests and heath communities. This hardy evergreen typically grows at a minimum elevation of 6 m up to a maximum of 2630 m with the average being 1774 m.
Additionally, the slope gradient of the habitat ranges from 0 to 270%, with an average of 26% overall. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Branches grow straight out to erect and are dispersed with a length ranging from 5 to 50 cm. When the branches are young, they tend to be glandular. The branches are a reddish brown with green towards the top where the pedicels emerge. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | The buds of the Phyllodoce empetriformis are a pinkish red, with stems
that are hairy and reddish-brown in colour. The buds are in a cluster on top of the stem. |
| Leaf Description | The leaves of the Phyllodoce empetriformis are a deep green, leathery pine needle-like shape with a prominent groove on the underside of the leaf. The leaves are tightly arranged in an alternate setting and are approximately 1.25 cm in length. The margins of the leaf are vaguely glandular and serrated. |
| Flower Description | A deep pinkish-red, 5-9 mm long bell-shaped flower that primarily grows erect and off a reddish, thin, hairy stem. The pedals, or corollas, are curled in at the top with a non-constricted
mouth and a fringed margin. There are 10 stamens per flower with filaments that measure 1.5-3 mm, and anthers that measure 1.5–2.5 mm in length. |
| Fruit Description | The fruits of the Phyllodoce empetriformis are in the form of small, hairy, almost spherical capsules, 2.5-3.5 mm long and 3-4 mm wide, filled with seeds. As the capsules ripen, they drop and disperse the seeds. |
| Colour Description | The dark green leaves of Phyllodoce empetriformis are evergreen while the flowers, when in bloom from mid-July to early August, are purplish pink to pinkish red in colour, atop thin red stems. The branches are a reddish brown with green towards the top. Once the flowers have bloomed, the seeds become ripe and turn to a dark purple or black colour. |
| Texture Description | Phyllodoce empetriformis has deep green, leathery, pine needle-like leaves with a prominent grove on the underside. The branches, when young, tend to be glandular and grow to be smooth. The margins of the flowers are fringed with curled pedals, growing off a hairy, thin stem. |