Northeast Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Kalmia latifolia L.
- Family: Heath (Ericaceae)
- Flowering: May-July
- Field Marks: The distinguishing features of this small tree are the pink flowers 1/2-1 inch across, the sticky sepals, and the flat evergreen leaves. In winter, the terminal buds are flat.
- Habitat: Woods, clearings, swamps.
- Habit: Shrub or small tree to 30 feet tall.
- Stems: Twigs sometimes angular, usually smooth; buds very small; leaf scars with 1 bundle trace.
- Leaves: Alternate but often crowded, evergreen, thick, broadly elliptic, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, yellow-green on the lower surface, usually smooth, at least at maturity, up to 3 1/2 inches long; stalks up to nearly 1 inch long.
- Flowers: Several in terminal clusters, each flower 1/2-1 inch across, borne on glandular-sticky stalks.
- Sepals: 5, united to each other, green, sticky, persistent on the fruit.
- Petals: 5, united to each other, pink or white, often with purple spots.
- Stamens: 10, the anthers within pockets on the petals and releasing the pollen at maturity when barely touched.
- Pistils: Ovary superior, smooth; style 1, up to nearly 1 inch long.
- Fruits: Capsules spherical but depressed at the top, 1/4-1/3 inch in diameter, with many minute seeds.
- Notes: Because of the attractive nature of mountain laurel, it is often grown as an ornamental. This species contains the toxic compound andromedotoxin which can kill livestock and wildlife if eaten.
Previous Species -- Sheep-laurel (Kalmia angustifolia)
Return to Species List -- Group 5
Next Species -- American Larch (Larix laricina)
