North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Kalmia latifolia

Kalmia latifolia L.

mountain laurel, calico-bush, ivy

Synonym(s): Kalmia latifolia var. laevipes
Cultivar(s): Dexter Pink, Elf Mountain, Olympic Fire, Peppermint, Pristine, Rubra, Sarah

Image ID: 7641
Image by: Parkins, Grant Morrow
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: KALA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Kalmia latifolia
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2017-01-26

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
594	Dexter Pink	View
595	Elf Mountain	View
596	Olympic Fire	View
198	Peppermint	View
597	Pristine	View
598	Rubra	View
183	Sarah	View

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: 10-15 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub, Tree

LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Evergreen

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Apr-Jul

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

BLOOM COLOR: White to pink flowers

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

FRUITING PERIOD: Sep-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: eastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Mountain-laurel is among our showiest native shrubs and makes a wonderful landscape plant. Its extravagant spring floral display peaks around mother’s day with flower clusters ranging in color from white to pink with lots of variations in between. The evergreen foliage is dark green, glossy, and ornamental. Like many shrubs in the heath family (Ericaceae) this one does best in moist acidic well drained soils though it is actually fairly tolerant of dry conditions. It thrives in light shade but again, is tolerant of sunnier spaces as well.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet, Well-drained
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 4
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE: 1, 4
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
16	2018-0002	2018-01-03	18	View
153	2010-0073	2010-12-09	154	View
899	1985-0580			View
900	1985-0581			View
1323	1986-1098			View
2090	1986-1890			View
3011	1988-0089			View
3731	1991-0426			View
3926	1992-0079			View
4847	1994-0056			View
5609	1995-0733			View
6151	1995-1283			View
6775	1996-0440			View
6825	1998-0030			View
6872	1998-0078			View
6873	1998-0079			View
6874	1998-0080			View
7403	2000-0146	2000-04-06		View
7756	2001-0111	2001-06-14		View
8307	2005-0024	2005-03-17		View
8310	2005-0026	2005-03-17		View
9531	2022-0031	2022-12-15	2619	View

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
18	HORT	2006-10-03	Bryan	View
154	HORT	2006-10-03	Liloia	View
842	SOS	2016-11-15	Healy	View
867	SOS	2016-11-14	Flood	View
873	SOS	2016-11-16	Flood	View
880	SOS	2016-11-14	Faucette	View
1141	HORT	2006-10-05	Bryan	View
1812	HORT	2006-10-01	Bryan	View
2619	HORT	2018-01-23	Liloia	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
17	16	71	Liloia	2017-12-21	View
309	153	34	Heiney	2010-12-10	View
310	153	35	Heiney	2010-12-10	View
311	153	45	NCBG staff	2011-11-14	View
312	153	23	Steen	2011-11-03	View
1667	899	157	NCBG staff	1981-04-26	View
1668	900	178	NCBG staff	1980-03-19	View
2303	1323	83	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
3478	2090	80	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
3479	2090	74	NCBG staff	1973-03-01	View
4972	3011	81	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
4973	3011	83	NCBG staff	1988-10-01	View
6038	3731	199	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
6248	3926	58	NCBG staff	1992-09-17	View
6249	3926	8	NCBG staff	1996-03-01	View
6250	3926	59	NCBG staff	1992-09-17	View
7248	4847	27	NCBG staff	1995-12-15	View
7249	4847	142	NCBG staff	1995-12-15	View
8123	5609	204	NCBG staff	1993-01-01	View
8806	6151	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9580	6775	1	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
9661	6825	164	NCBG staff	1998-03-11	View
9734	6872	198	NCBG staff	1997-10-08	View
9735	6873	166	NCBG staff	1997-10-08	View
9736	6874	166	NCBG staff	1997-10-08	View
10399	7403	165	NCBG staff	2000-04-03	View
10960	7756	1	NCBG staff	1998-01-01	View
11589	8310	205	NCBG staff	1967-12-01	View
12163	153	27	Liloia	2014-08-01	View
12883	153	83	Briggs	2021-06-01	View
13381	9531	71	Liloia	2022-02-01	View
13382	9531	73	Liloia	2022-11-10	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: KALA
USDA Common Name: Mountain Laurel
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Tree, Shrub

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

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

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

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Kalmia latifolia
COMMON NAME: Mountain Laurel, Ivy, Calico-bush
SYNONYMY: [= C, FNA, K, L, Pa, RAB, S, Va, W, WH3, WV, Y, Z; > K. latifolia var. laevipes Fernald - F, G; > K. latifolia var. latifolia - F, G]
PHENOLOGY: Apr-Jul; Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Acidic forests, bluffs, bogs, along sandhill steams, and in a wide range of other habitats, nearly ubiquitous in the mountains, up to at least 1600m, more restricted in habitat in the lower Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
COMMENTS: ME, OH, and IN south to Panhandle FL and extreme e. LA. Unlike our other species, which are strictly shrubs, K. latifolia reaches the stature and diameter of a small tree.
RANGE MAP: Kalmia latifolia.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 latifolia in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Kalmia latifolia in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

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

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 7641 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 7641 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 7641 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 23527 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)