Photo: Qwert1234, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia
Also called calico bush, spoonwood.
Native evergreen with clusters of origami-like pink and white flowers in June and twisted, sculptural trunks.
EvergreenShowy flowersTolerates shadeWildlife value
- Type
- Shrub
- Mature height
- 5–12 ft
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Sun
- Part · Shade · Full
- Soil moisture
- Average
210
Mountain laurel grows under oaks on acid, rocky, well-drained soil from Maine to Florida. Its June bloom is one of the sights of the eastern woods, and its glossy evergreen leaves give winter structure. It fails in clay, wet soil and lime. Seed-grown plants are tougher than the cultivars. All parts are toxic, and honey made from it is too, so do not site it near hives.
Heights and zones are typical ranges for the species in cultivation; local conditions and seed source shift them. Estimate growth for this species →
Grows in the same conditions
Plants that share its sun and soil
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