Kalmia angustifolia Rubra - Sheep Laurel

The Kalmia latifolia 'Rubra' is a charming variety of bush laurel, compact, bushy, and very floriferous, with an intense colour. Its large slightly incurved corollas, grouped in terminal clusters, display a dark pink hue with bluish reflections, blending with the geometrically shaped pink floral buds. Of modest size, this bush easily finds its place in a large pot or in a small garden. It is cultivated similarly to rhododendron, in partial shade, in heather soil, always kept slightly moist.

The Kalmia latifolia 'Rubra' belongs to the Ericaceae family, like Heather and Rhododendron. This slow-growing bush reaches about 80 cm in height and 1 m in spread by the age of 10. Its well-branched trunk gives it a bushy, compact, and somewhat erect habit, generally becoming a little wider than tall with age. Its evergreen foliage in winter, medium green with a lighter underside, ensures decorative interest all year round. The leaves are tough and thick with a slightly V-shaped form. The show is at its peak in late spring, in June-July, when it is covered with its unique flowers. Their waxy texture brings out the original patterns drawn on the petals. Each branch bears terminal clusters with an abundance of ribbed pink buds opening into dark pink flowers with bluish reflections. They are very wide, becoming almost flat at maturity and measuring up to 5 cm in diameter. After flowering, if they have not fallen, the flowers give way to brown capsule-shaped fruits, persistent in winter.

Kalmias, unfairly overlooked, offer an enchanted flowering. These hardy heather soil bushes flourish in partial shade in moist to wet soil rich in humus. The 'Rubra' Kalmia is ideal for enhancing your other heather soil plants, such as Hydrangeas, Japanese maples, camellias, or even rhododendrons. Thanks to its compact growth, it is also suitable for container cultivation on balconies or terraces, provided the soil is kept consistently moist and non-calcareous water is used for watering.

Kalmia latifolia is a bush whose all parts (leaves, flowers, fruits, roots) are toxic, to humans as well as animals (dogs, cats, sheep, horses), in case of ingestion.