Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia
Domed clusters of white to pink cups in May and June, with spring-loaded stamens that dust visiting bees. Glossy evergreen structure for decades.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The spring-loaded floral mechanism that dusts bumblebees with pollen, combined with year-round evergreen structure nothing else matches.
Mountain laurel is Connecticut's state flower and the defining shrub of Appalachian slopes for a reason. In May and June, the flower clusters open in dome-shaped cymes of white to deep pink blooms, each individual flower an intricate cup with ten spring-loaded stamens that snap outward and dust visiting bumblebees with pollen when they land. Watch a bumblebee work these flowers and you're watching one of the most elegant pollination mechanisms in the plant kingdom. The thick, leathery, evergreen leaves are dark and glossy year-round. It grows slowly to a dense, substantial presence over decades: the old specimens on Appalachian ridges are gnarled and architectural, ten feet tall and decades old. In a garden, give it room and the right conditions and it will outlive everything else you plant. The combination of evergreen structure, spectacular bloom, and extraordinary floral mechanics makes this one of the most botanically interesting native plants available.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown mountain laurel propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant mountain laurel instead of English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) in shaded borders. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Part sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 5–10 ft · 5–10 ft wide
- Bloom time
- May–June
- Bloom color
- White, Pink
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Native range
- Eastern United States from Maine to Florida, primarily Appalachian mountains and piedmont
Care notes for mountain laurel.
Acidic, moist, well-drained soil in part shade to full sun. Not tolerant of alkaline, compacted, or wet soils. Mulch heavily with pine bark or wood chips. Deadhead spent flower clusters to encourage the following year's bloom. Slow grower. don't rush it with fertilizer. Rhododendron-specific acid fertilizer once a year at establishment supports good growth.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside mountain laurel.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.