Kalmia angustifolia
Sheep Laurel, Lambkill Laurel
Ericaceae
ExpandHabitat
- native to Michigan down through Georgia
- hardy in zone 1
Habit and Form
- an evergreen shrub
- 1' to 3' tall
- wider than tall
- spreading habit
- medium texture
- slow-growth rate
Summer Foliage
- opposite to whorled leaf arrangement
- simple, leaves
- elliptic leaf shape
- 1" to 2" long and not quite as wide
- entire leaf margin
- blue-green leaf color
- poisonous
Autumn Foliage
- evergreen; no fall color
Flowers
- rose-pink flowers
- 0.5" to 2" across
- flowers borne in corymbs
- bloom in late June
Fruit
- non-ornamental, small dehiscent capsules
- brown-tan color
Bark
- rounded, brown stems
- glabrous
- trunks gnarled and twisted
Culture
- partial shade to full sun
- often touted as tolerant of heavy shade, but plants under those conditions are very thin and open and bloom sparsely
- requires a cool, moist, acidic, organic soil for best performance
- avoid windswept sites
Landscape Use
- for evergreen foliage
- naturalization
- woods edge
- flower effect
- foundation plantings
- excellent in partially shaded sites
- works well with other broadleaf evergreens
- for naturalizing
Liabilities
- foliar burn in exposed sites
- will languish in heavy, high pH soils
- lacebug
- leaf spot can be especially troublesome on non-resistant cultivars in moist, heavy shade
- poisonous foliage
ID Features
- broadleaf evergreen; elliptical leaves, acute apex
- alternate leaves clustered at the shoot tip
- fruit clusters upright
- lateral buds hidden behind the petiole base
- leaf margins entire (no serrations)
- most often confused with Pieris sp.
- very low growing shrub
Propagation
- by seed
- by cuttings
Cultivars/Varieties
'Candida' - This form is identical to the species, except it bears pure white blooms.
'Hammonasset' - A selection from Connecticut, this plant has a more spreading, stoloniferous habit and richer rose-colored blooms.
'Kennebago' - The leaves on this Maine selection are more lustrous, plus the flowers are a darker pink.
'Poke Logan' - Another plant originating in Maine, this cultivar has more glossy leaves and light pink blooms.
'Rosea' - The flowers on this selection are pinkish-red, while 'Rubra' has darker, more purple blooms.