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Kalmia angustifolia
Also called Dwarf Laurel, Pig Laurel, Lambkill, Sheepkill, Wicky, Narrow Leaved Laurel, Lambskill
Sheep laurel is a small evergreen shrub native to eastern North America, grown for its crimson-pink early summer flowers. It is a shrub of acidic, infertile soils and does best in moist, acidic conditions in partial shade.
Kalmia angustifolia is a flowering shrub in the family Ericaceae, commonly known by various names including sheep laurel, wicky, and dwarf laurel. Like many plant species of infertile habitats it has evergreen leaves and mycorrhizal associations with fungi.
Kalmia contains a glycoside, known as andromedotoxin. It is poisonous to mammals. Hence, it can be unwelcome in pastures. Several of its folk-names testify to the plant's toxicity: 'lamb-kill', 'sheep kill', 'calf-kill', 'pig laurel', 'sheep-laurel' and 'sheep-poison'. It is also known as narrow-leaved laurel and dwarf laurel.
Kalmia angustifolia is distributed in eastern North America from Ontario and Quebec south to Virginia, while the southern subspecies K. angustifolia ssp. carolina grows as far south as Georgia. It grows commonly in dry habitats in the boreal forest, and is also found in drier areas of peat bogs, or pocosins. It may become dominant over large areas after fire or logging.
Peter Collinson originally introduced Kalmia angustifolia to England in 1736. Since then, it has been bred and cultivated as an ornamental garden shrub both in Europe and the US. It prefers a moist, acidic soil in partial shade. The species has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Numerous cultivars have been selected for garden use, of which K. angustifolia f. rubra, with rich red flowers, has also won the award.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Kalmia angustifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
