Georgia Wildlife Federation

Resources < Wildlife Habitats < Native Plants < Native Plant Database < Kalmia latifolia

Mountain laurel is the diva of the native plant garden—beautiful, talented, but difficult. Though many are enticed by her pink flowers, picturesque form, and glossy evergreen foliage, few are prepared to meet her demands. First of all, the soil must be rich, cool, moist, and acidic. It is essential that the drainage be nothing less than perfect. A slope is preferred, but if you must plant on flat land, be sure to plant high and amend the entire bed with enough ground pine bark to ensure flawless drainage. Even better, set the roots on top of the ground and cover them with a thick mound of pine bark or sandy, humus-rich soil. Be sure to mulch the soil well with pine straw or bark.

If you give her the things she needs—rich, acidic soil, ample moisture, and excellent drainage—mountain laurel will reward you with many years of flowers and lush foliage. The smooth-edged, elliptical leaves are lustrous dark green year round, and the cup-shaped, May-to-June-blooming flowers come in shades of white to pink to rose. Though the eye-popping 4-to-6" corymbs are showy enough to elicit squeals of delight from car-bound sightseers hurtling by at sixty miles an hour, the individual flowers, with their intricate purple markings and delicate spoke-like stamens, are worth examining up close. Michael Dirr calls mountain laurel "individually the most beautiful flower I know of" and "one of our best and best loved native shrubs."

Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)

Description: Large evergreen shrub with 3-to-4", dark green, glossy leaves. 4-to-6" clusters of cup-shaped white to pink flowers appear in spring at lower elevations and in early summer in the mountains. Small dry brown fruits persist through winter.

Size: 8 to 15' high and wide.

Habit: Large, evergreen, thicket-forming shrub. Tends to be full and symmetrical in youth, becoming more open with age.

Light: Full sun to full shade. Best flowering occurs in sunnier locations.

Planting and Care: Plant in cool, moist, well-drained, acid soil. Excellent drainage is essential, so plant high or even on top of the ground, mounding pine bark or sandy, humusy soil around the roots.

Ornamental Value: Assets include lush, glossy evergreen foliage and white to pink flower clusters in spring to early summer.

Landscape Usage: Plant in the shrub border, in masses, or as a specimen.

Wildlife Benefits: Evergreen foliage provides cover for birds and mammals. Ruffed grouse and deer feed extensively on the leaves, twigs, and buds.

Native Habitat: Found on rocky slopes and stream banks in the Piedmont, mountains, and Coastal Plain.