Mountain Laurel Shrub

Mountain laurel plants are evergreen shrubs that are natives to the mountainous regions of the eastern United States. Related to rhododendrons and azaleas, mountain laurel is also a member of the family Ericaceae. But, this shrub belongs to the genus Kalmia. The scientific name of the species is Kalmia latifolia. This plant is also known in many other names like spoon wood (as the Native Americans used to make spoons from the wood of this plant), ivybush, sheep laurel, calico bush, lambkill and clamoun. Nowadays, various cultivars of this species are available and are used for ornamental purposes. These plants are perfect for hedges, as accent plants or as borders. These plants have an attractive green foliage that is retained throughout the year and beautiful spring flowers.

Mountain Laurel Shrub Facts

It is an evergreen shrub that can offer you with bright green foliage and attractive flowers. These flowering plants grow upright to a height of four to ten meters. The tough and glossy green leaves have a length of around 5 to 12 centimeters and a width of up to five centimeters. The buds develop in clusters during the late fall and the flowers emerge during the spring. The beautiful clusters of flowers produced by this shrub may vary in color in different cultivars. The color of the flowers may range from white, pink, red, maroon, cream and peach. Some of the cultivars produced flowers in mixed shades. Around eighty cultivars of mountain laurel shrub are available today.

One of the interesting mountain laurel facts is that its flowers are the state flower of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Almost all parts of this plant are found to be toxic and so ingestion is not recommended. In case of accidental ingestion, seek medical attention immediately. However, household pets, like, dogs and cats are not found to get affected with the toxicity of this plant.

How to Care for a Mountain Laurel Plant

Growing this plant is not a difficult task, as they require minimal care only. However, there are basic requirements that have to be met, so that the plant grows healthy and produce blooms.

• While some people transplant these plants from the wild, it is always better to get a healthy plant from the nursery, as transplanting this spring flowering bush may damage its fragile root system. Get the right type of plant, as per your choice.
• The next factor is to choose the ideal location for growing the plant. Mountain laurel plants prefer locations with partial shade. As full sun may dry out the roots, full shade is also not advisable, if you are growing this plant for flowers.
• These plants love acidic, moist and well-drained soil. So add humus, peat moss and sand, so as to make the soil ideal for planting mountain laurel shrubs. Once the soil preparation is done, plant the shrub. The roots should not be deep inside the soil.
• Make sure that the crown (where the plant stem meets the root) of the plant is just above the soil surface. If the crown is planted deep inside the soil, there are chances that the plant develops rot that may lead to its death.
• Regular watering is needed, till the plant establishes itself. After that, reduce the frequency of watering, but, make sure to keep the soil moist. Feeding can be done in very small amounts, during the early spring or late fall. It will be better to use a slow release fertilizer for this purpose.
• Mulching is one of the important aspects of mountain laurel shrub care, as it is good for retaining moisture. However, make sure that the mulch, once decomposed, adds to the acidity of the soil and not vice versa. So, use pine needles or wood chips for mulching these plants.
• Mountain laurel is a slow-growing plant that requires minimal pruning, which include removal of seed heads, during the flowering season. This improves the rate of flowering, the next year. Pruning is also good for maintaining the height of the plant.

The above said is only a brief overview about the subject and it will be always better, if you gain a thorough knowledge about the same, before starting with these plants.