Kalmia latifolia; Ericaceae

Not much to look at now, but in this season of gray and brown, I’ll take what I can get.  Mountain laurel is a close relative of the familiar garden plants rhododendron and azalea. In the wild it can get to ten feet in height, with a rambling, open form and a tendency to grow in thickets.  The ones I’ve seen in the mid-Atlantic piedmont tend to be sparsely clad with leaves.

Here’s what we can look forward to, starting about mid-May:

Lots of detailed information about mountain laurel.