Kalmia latifolia Pink Charm - Mountain Laurel

Kalmia latifolia Pink Charm, also known as Mountain Laurel, is a delightful dwarf shrub of heathland, with a bushy and dense habit, and matte green evergreen foliage. In May-June, it exhibits abundant flowering with dark pink in buds, and rich pink flowers. The spectacle is simply stunning. It flowers even when young and remains elegant all year round.

Kalmia latifolia, native to the mountains of eastern North America, and also called Mountain Laurel or American Laurel, belongs to the family of Ericaceae, like Heather and Rhododendron. This Pink Charm broad-leaf Kalmia is a small-sized evergreen bush, not exceeding 1 meter (3 feet 4 inches) in all directions, and of slow growth. The adult size is reached in ten years, the young plant can live 50 years. Its well-branched trunk gives it a bushy, spreading, and somewhat erect habit. Its evergreen foliage, matte dark green, with a lighter underside, is composed of small concave, tough and thick, alternate and lanceolate leaves (like those of Rhododendrons or Laurels), thus ensuring a very decorative interest all year round. This plant is most spectacular at the end of spring, in May-June, when it is entirely covered with intensely pink flowers.  Each branch, tinged with purple, carries terminal clusters (corymbs) of small rich pink flowers, in the form of campanulate 5-sided corollas, very flared, 2 to 2.5 cm (0.8 to 1 in) in diameter, whose centre is circled with dark red. Each flower carries 10 purple stamens attached to the petals. The flowers do not all blooming together, the corymbs present astonishing contrasts between the veined, dark pink flower buds, and the already open flowers. After flowering, if they have not fallen, the flowers give way to fruits in the form of brown capsules, which last all winter.

Kalmias are unjustly unknown. Their flowers are enchanting, they are particularly hardy heathland bushes that should be planted in semi-shade, in moist and humus-rich soil. Very decorative and compact, Kalmia Pink Charm will work wonders planted in the garden, where it will beautifully highlight all the surrounding plants! A wide variety of uses are possible for its installation. It will be perfect to accompany and highlight your other ericaceous plants (Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias, Heathers, Hydrangeas, Japanese Maples, Magnolias, Andromedas, Cyclamens…). It will work well in an informal hedge, in mixed shrub planting, added into a perennial bed, around a pond, or even planted as a specimen. This kalmia associates particularly well with Rhododendron canescens, Euonymus americana (the American spindle tree with purple in autumn), Dicentra eximia, Polystichum acrostichoides (a pretty fern), Gillenia trifoliata (excessively light) and Leucothoe axillaris with waffled and changing foliage. Due to its small size, it is also suitable for pots on balconies or patios, provided the soil is always kept damp and watered with non-calcareous water.

Properties:

Kalmia latifolia is a shrub which is entirely toxic to humans as well as for animals (dogs, cats, sheep, horses) when eaten, including its leaves, flowers, fruits and roots.

However, it is used in homeopathy for pain relief. In the past, its very hard wood was used to make many tools, including wooden spoons, hence its English nickname of Spoonwood.

Anecdote:

The denomination of the genus Kalmia, was chosen by Carl von Linnaeus, in honour of Pehr Kalm, famous Swedish botanist, who was one of the first to explore the flora in some parts of North America from 1747 to 1751.

The flower of the Kalmia latifolia is the emblem of the States of Connecticut and Pennsylvania.