Kalmia latifolia, more commonly known as mountain laurel, is perhaps the most beautiful of native American shrubs.
Its fragrance and the masses of white and pink blossoms so vividly contrast with the darker colors of the forests and the fields that they have continually attracted the attention of travelers since the earliest days of our country’s colonization.
First mentioned in John Smith's General History in 1624, the plant was named after Swedish explorer Peter Kalm who sent specimens of the plant to Europe in 1750.
In addition to being called the mountain laurel, the plant’s other common names include "Calico Bush" and "Spoonwood."
