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Home  /  Plants  /  Budburst Species  /  Kalmia latifolia
Phenology Observation Sheet for Broadleaf Evergreens

COMMON NAME

mountain laurel

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Kalmia latifolia

ALSO KNOWN AS

Calico bush

Plant family

Heath (Ericaceae)

Plant group

Broadleaf Evergreens

An evergreen shrub that usually grows 12-20' tall, occassionally taller and more like a tree.
118 reports
41+
OBSERVERS
118+
OBSERVATIONS
!

Identification hints

Typically has a crooked trunk and thick spreading branches with a domed dense crown.
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Did you know?

Mountain laurel is the state flower of both Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The wood is sometimes used for creating handrails, bowls, and wreaths. All parts of the plants are highly toxic.
DISTRIBUTION IN TH U.S.
Alabama , Connecticut , District of Columbia , Delaware , Florida , Georgia , Indiana , Kentucky , Louisiana , Massachusetts , Maryland , Maine , Mississippi , North Carolina , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , South Carolina , Tennessee , Virginia , Vermont , West Virginia
HABITAT
Commonly growing in dry, rocky acidic soils on mountain hillsides and ridges.
ATTRIBUTES
Leaves
Glossy, leathery leaves are oval-shaped and 5" long, appearing one at a time along the the stem (alternate).
Flowers
White to pink bell-shaped flowers with red spots inside, are borne in dense, flat topped clusters.
Fruits
Fruit is a small brown dry capsule, less than 1/4" in diameter, with hundreds of small seeds.
Bloom Time
Generally blooming between May and June.

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