Kalmia latifolia
Here's what our Kalmia latifolia in flower looks like, in front of our house in Clemson. It's a lovely clear white -- my gardening companion said it was a Kalmia propagated through a Woodlanders (nursery) selection, from Aiken, South Carolina, so definitely a southern genotype.
We've got another Kalmia nearby that's showing only buds (undoubtedly from a more northern location).
 |
| Kalmia latifolia in flower |
 |
| Kalmia buds |
I don't have any mountain laurel in my landscape, but I have helped my daughter plant two at the edge of the little 'woodland' she has in front of her house. Hers have some pink.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty, mine are pink...almost open.
ReplyDeleteAre these frost hardy Lisa?
ReplyDeleteAnd how long do they flower for?
Rob
Mountain laurel is such a great native shrub, with a wide geographic distribution.
ReplyDeleteRob, mountain laurels are definitely frost hardy and the flowers last for several weeks. I'm surprised that you haven't seen it -- I would have thought it would have ended up in British gardens along with Rhododendrons, as they flourish in the same general habitats. Kalmia latifolia is a woody, long-lived shrub in our mountains and Piedmont, even if finicky about being in exactly the right site!
Janet and Pat, aren't the pinker flowers pretty, too? I like the clear white, since they're more common in nature. But the pink ones are nice -- the only ones I don't like are the deep pink (a bit out of the ordinary!)
Lisa