What native plants are blooming this week?

Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

Mountain laurel is one of the few naturally occurring broadleaf evergreen shrubs in the mountains and the piedmont. It is distributed across most of the state except for our eastern counties, where sheep laurel (Kalmia carolina) becomes the dominant member of its taxa. Mountain laurel, a blueberry (Ericaceae) relative, is ubiquitous in the rocky forests, steep wooded slopes, and ravines of the mountains and piedmont, where it forms dense stands. The trunks of mature plants become gnarled and twisted with age.

Blooming now, mountain laurel's beautiful pink and white flowers are unmistakable. These saucer-shaped flowers appear on terminal clusters covering the shrub from April to May and into July at higher elevations. The flowers, no larger than 1 inch across, have 10 anthers surrounded by a ring of purple pockets. When disturbed by a bee, the stamens catapult their pollen from the anther into the air and onto a nearby pollinator to ensure pollination. Check out this cool video!

Mountain laurel is challenging to cultivate. While it tolerates a wide range of light conditions from full shade to full sun, it does not tolerate clay or wet soils. Mountain laurel prefers acidic, organic-rich soils. Plant this shrub in raised soils or containers to promote adequate drainage.