Down in the plain: Mountain Laurel?

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 bursts into an umbel of colorful pink to cream colored flowers that attracted pollinator insects.  The evergreen leaves have a wonderful deep green color, adding an element of lushness on even the coldest of winter days.

Figure 2:  The flowers and foliage of mountain laurel.  
Mountain Laurel is toxic to cows and many other livestock, and its abundant growth in many parts of the south has resulted in mountain laurel being referred to as poison ivy.  Mountain laurel is harmless to touch however, and it can serve as a great ornamental shrub in shaded areas of people's yards that also is beneficial to backyard wildlife.

If you live out east, get out and get some fresh air and admire the blossoms of mountain laurel!  You won't need to climb very high to see them.

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