Alex Palmer's Natural History Notes and Thoughts

Figure 1:  Mountain Laurel ( Kalmia latifolia ) in bloom along the Greenbelt Lake Trail at Buddy Attick Park in Greenbelt, Maryland.   One thing I love about spring in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast is the showy flowers of Mountain Laurel ( Kalmia latifolia ).  Native to the eastern half of the United States from Pennsylvania down into Alabama and Georgia, this large evergreen shrub has a misleading name.  First of all, the shrub is not actually a species of laurel but is in fact a Rhododendron.  Secondly, mountain laurel does not necessarily grow on mountains.  In the Appalachian Mountains, mountain laurel does well on windy, somewhat exposed areas near the peaks of large hills.  However, in the coastal plain of the Chesapeake Bay region, mountain laurel grows in lightly disturbed, well-drained soils often in woodland understories (see Figures 1 and 2).  Right around May and early June, mountain laurel's membership in the rhododendron and azalea family becomes obvious as it bu

Disclaimer:  The opinions and commentary expressed in this blog post are my own, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the Chesapeake Education, Arts and Research Society (CHEARS), the City of Greenbelt, Volunteer Maryland, the Corporation for National and Community Service (Americorps), or any affiliated parties. My job as a Volunteer Maryland Coordinator is to develop and enhance a volunteer program structure for the Chesapeake Education Arts and Research Society (CHEARS), a small nonprofit based in the DC suburb of Greenbelt, Maryland.  The overall mission of CHEARS is to facilitate community-driven action projects that improve the health of people and the environment in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  The structure of the organization is partnership-based, with one of the closest partners being the City of Greenbelt government. Greenbelt is a rather unique town in that it was one of three planned communities inseminated during the Great Depression.  Everythin