Flower profile

Fetterbush lyonia

Lyonia lucida

Fetterbush lyonia (Lyonia lucida) is a shrub in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–April across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Fetterbush lyonia is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–April.

8states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

8,845U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Florida, South Carolina

Quick look

Lyonia lucida is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae known by the common names fetterbush lyonia, hurrahbush, and staggerbush. Other plants may also be called fetterbush. This broadleaved evergreen plant grows on the coastal plain of the southeastern United States from Virginia to Florida to Louisiana. It also occurs in Cuba.
From Wikipedia's article Lyonia lucida, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ericaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 8 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Florida and South Carolina. ^NatureServe
In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as red. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 6.6 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 6,658 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #19 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 491 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #76 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (602 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Florida	Native	January–December	6,658
South Carolina	Native	few records (16)	491

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S5, secure in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: flowers, leaves, sap/juice. Symptoms they list: “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…” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Maleberry” (Lyonia sp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression, cardiovascular collapse, hypersalivation, weakness, coma, low blood pressure, death. Ingestion of a few leaves can cause serious… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records fetterbush lyonia in 8 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Marlboro, McCormick, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter, Williamsburg.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Fetterbush lyonia a low shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 3.5 to 6.0 and winter lows down to 2 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 3.5 to 6.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: 2 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 200
Annual precipitation range: 40 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth: 20 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Spring to Summer
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for LYLU3. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Desmothamnus lucidus, Neopieris nitida.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 211 counties across 8 states; the most are in Florida (62), Georgia (48), North Carolina (31).

Other Lyonia on Bloomipedia (1): Coastal plain staggerbush.

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap.

More Florida flowers

Shiny blueberry

Vaccinium myrsinites

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–March

Coastal plain staggerbush

Lyonia fruticosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–June

Florida rosemary

Ceratiola ericoides

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in FL

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LYLU3.
iNaturalist, Lyonia lucida: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Lyonia lucida (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Lyonia lucida (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Dan Vickers via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.