North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Kalmia carolina

Kalmia carolina Small

southern sheepkill, carolina bog myrtle, carolina laurel, carolina wicky

Synonym(s): Kalmia angustifolia var. carolina

Image ID: 12540
Image by: Cressler, Alan M.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: KACA2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Kalmia carolina
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-11-08

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: KALMI
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Kalmia
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Laurel
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 9-11 species, shrubs, of North America and Cuba, except the circumboreal K. procumbens (formerly Loiseleuria). Leiophyllum, traditionally treated as a monotypic or small genus of se. United States, is better treated as a part of Kalmia along with the northern Loiseleuria, based on molecular and morphological studies (Kron & King 1996, Kron et al. 2002). While this idea may initially seem outlandish (particularly to those whose concept of Kalmia is based only on Kalmia latifolia), the morphological and habital similarities of Leiophyllum to Kalmia are striking. The foliage and wood of all species (and the smoke from burning them) are poisonous.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Liu, Denford, Ebinger, Packer, & Tucker in FNA (2009); Southall & Hardin (1974)=Z; Ebinger (1974)=Y; Strand & Wyatt (1991)=Q; Wilbur & Racine (1971)=T; Camp (1938)=P; Kron & King (1996); Kron et al. (2002)=V; Kron, Judd, & Anderberg (2008); Haines (2010)=U; Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ERICAC
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Ericaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Heath Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 107-124 genera and 3400-4100 species, primarily shrubs, small trees, and subshrubs, nearly cosmopolitan. The Ericaceae is very important in our area, which is one of the north temperate centers of diversity for the Ericaceae, with a great diversity of genera and species, many of them rather narrowly endemic. Along with Quercus and Pinus, various members of this family are dominant in much of our landscape.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Tucker in FNA (2009); Gillespie & Kron (2010, 2013); Kron et al. (2002); Wood (1961); Judd & Kron (1993); Kron & Chase (1993); Luteyn et al. (1996)=L; Dorr & Barrie (1993); Cullings & Hileman (1997); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 2-3 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub

LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Apr-May (sporadically to Sept.)

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
		x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
		x						x

FRUITING PERIOD: Sep-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: VA, NC, SC, TN & GA

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Southern sheepkill can commonly be found in the North Carolina coastal plain or sometimes in the mountains. At first it appears similar to its larger relative, mountain-laurel, Kalmia latifolia, but K. carolina is smaller in stature, likes wetter soil, and has different leaf and flower arrangements. The bright pink flowers appear in April and May. Since fire is a common, natural occurrence in the coastal plain, southern sheepkill responds well to fire, and if burned some sporadic late summer blooming can be expected. This is a great small evergreen shrub to add to your native plant garden or to grow in a container.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 6
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 8
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
88	2012-0060	2012-06-05	89	View
898	1985-0579			View
1958	1986-1746			View
2670	1987-0131			View
3937	1992-0090			View
6917	1998-0124			View
6948	1998-0157			View
6992	1998-0213			View
7072	1999-0018	1999-05-05		View

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
89	HORT	2006-10-19	Liloia	View
1488	HORT	2006-10-19	Liloia	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
116	88	42	Mixon	2012-04-25	View
117	88	48	Mixon	2013-06-01	View
1666	898	198	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
3128	1958	6	NCBG staff	1986-12-22	View
4482	2670	9	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
6262	3937	55	NCBG staff	1992-10-21	View
9780	6917	160	NCBG staff	1997-11-07	View
9812	6948	160	NCBG staff	1998-03-11	View
9866	6992	8	NCBG staff	1996-03-05	View
9990	7072	59	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9991	7072	6	NCBG staff	1999-05-06	View
9992	7072	56	NCBG staff	1999-05-06	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: KACA2
USDA Common Name: Carolina Laurel
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (GA, NC, SC, TN, VA)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FAC

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

2018 Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina

NHP ID	S RANK	ROUNDED S RANK	G RANK	ROUNDED G RANK	STATE STATUS	FEDERAL STATUS
18061	S4	S4	G4	G4	W6

This information is derived from the 2018 North Carolina Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species.

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Kalmia carolina
COMMON NAME: Southern Sheepkill, Carolina Wicky, Carolina Bog Myrtle
SYNONYMY: [= GW, K, S, Va, W, Z; = K. angustifolia Linnaeus var. caroliniana (Small) Fernald - RAB (an orthographic error); = K. angustifolia var. carolina (Small) Fernald - C, F, FNA, G, L, Y; = K. angustifolia ssp. carolina (Small) A. Haines - U]
PHENOLOGY: Apr-May (sporadically to Sep, especially in response to fire); Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Moist to wet pinelands of the Coastal Plain, pocosin margins (or seemingly in pocosins or swamps because of fire suppression), mountain bogs and fens (and less commonly in rocky areas at high elevations) in the Mountains.
COMMENTS: This species, a close relative of the more widespread and northern K. angustifolia, occurs in two disjunct areas: the Coastal Plain, from se. VA south through NC to wc. GA (Taylor County), and the Southern Appalachians from sw. VA south through w. NC and ne. TN to ne. GA. Southall & Hardin (1974) favored species status for K. carolina because of its essentially allopatric distribution relative to K. angustifolia (the 2 meet in Southampton County, VA), the near absence of intermediates or hybrids in nature, and because significant morphological and anatomical differences have developed and remain constant between these two species when grown together.
RANGE MAP: Kalmia carolina.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Ericaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Heath Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 107-124 genera and 3400-4100 species, primarily shrubs, small trees, and subshrubs, nearly cosmopolitan. The Ericaceae is very important in our area, which is one of the north temperate centers of diversity for the Ericaceae, with a great diversity of genera and species, many of them rather narrowly endemic. Along with Quercus and Pinus, various members of this family are dominant in much of our landscape.
REFERENCE: Tucker in FNA (2009); Gillespie & Kron (2010, 2013); Kron et al. (2002); Wood (1961); Judd & Kron (1993); Kron & Chase (1993); Luteyn et al. (1996)=L; Dorr & Barrie (1993); Cullings & Hileman (1997); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Kalmia L. (Laurel)
SUMMARY: A genus of 9-11 species, shrubs, of North America and Cuba, except the circumboreal K. procumbens (formerly Loiseleuria). Leiophyllum, traditionally treated as a monotypic or small genus of se. United States, is better treated as a part of Kalmia along with the northern Loiseleuria, based on molecular and morphological studies (Kron & King 1996, Kron et al. 2002). While this idea may initially seem outlandish (particularly to those whose concept of Kalmia is based only on Kalmia latifolia), the morphological and habital similarities of Leiophyllum to Kalmia are striking. The foliage and wood of all species (and the smoke from burning them) are poisonous.
REFERENCE: Liu, Denford, Ebinger, Packer, & Tucker in FNA (2009); Southall & Hardin (1974)=Z; Ebinger (1974)=Y; Strand & Wyatt (1991)=Q; Wilbur & Racine (1971)=T; Camp (1938)=P; Kron & King (1996); Kron et al. (2002)=V; Kron, Judd, & Anderberg (2008); Haines (2010)=U; Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Kalmia carolina in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Kalmia carolina in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Kalmia carolina in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Kalmia carolina in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Kalmia carolina in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Kalmia carolina

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 12540 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 12540 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 7578 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 12540 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)