Mountain Laurel

Mountain Laurel     Kalmia latifolia

Mature Size: 10 to 30 feet tall.

Form: Crooked branches and clustered growth can produce dense thickets, but mountain laurel grows singly as well. Is mountain laurel a tree or a shrub?  One could argue either position as it does grow up to 30 feet with a diameter than can reach 6 inches.  Either way, it had to be included, growing as it does directly in front of the overlook on the Hutchinson Unit’s Daingerfield Loop and around the pond at Laurel Grove Unit.

Where to Find Them: Rocky slopes like those flanking Mt. Landing Creek.  It thrives in acidic soils.

Leaves: The leaves are 1 to 4 inches long and 1/2 to 1 inch wide. The flowers are hexagonal, sometimes appearing to be pentagonal, ranging from light pink to white, and occur in clusters.

Fruit: The fruit is a capsule, about 1/4 inch in diameter, bearing hundreds of small seeds.

Wildlife use:   At higher elevations, ruffed grouse and deer are known to feed on flowers, leaves and twigs, but the winter cover supplied by this evergreen is equally important in deciduous woods.  All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans.