leatherleaf

[ leth-er-leef ]

noun

, plural leath·er·leaves.

1. an evergreen shrub, Chamaedaphne calyculata, of the heath family, having leathery leaves and one-sided clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers, occurring in bogs in North America.

Word History and Origins

Origin of leatherleaf¹

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; leather + leaf

Example Sentences

Originally, the gardens were filled with sun and included several natives, including leatherleaf viburnum, bottlebrush grass and oakleaf hydrangea bushes.

From Washington Post

Another is the leatherleaf mahonia, a formidable hollylike shrub whose prickly foliage is leavened by sprays of golden blossoms, small and cupped and fragrant.

From Washington Post

Pale corydalis and harebell grew near the shore; sphagnum, leatherleaf and Labrador tea in the swampy sections of the hike.

From New York Times

Behind the house, they enjoy berries of a dogwood, the leatherleaf viburnum and an American cranberry bush.

From Washington Post