Species Feature #11, Mountain Laurel

I thought now would be a fitting time to feature this species, given my recent engagement to Laurel. While I believe she was technically named for the bay laurel (which isn't even closely related, taxonomically speaking), the mountain laurel is about as close as we're likely to find growing wild in this area. In this case "close" refers non-scientifically to plants called "laurels."

Mountain laurels have stunningly beautiful white flowers with red or pink highlights. Something I didn't realize about them is that they are evergreens... and so my prior thoughts about them as a "sign of spring" were in error. Still, I don't think they're generally quite as striking in winter as they have appeared the last few weeks.

A very photogenic plant.

 
Kalmia latifolia Quick Facts

Common Name(s): Mountain Laurel, Spoonwood, Ivybush, Sheep laurel, Lambkill, Calico bush

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Plantae
• Division (Phylum level) - Magnoliophyta (aka Angiospermae)
• Class - Eudicots (not technically a Class, but this is an approximation)
• Order - Asterids (another approximation. Asterids are part of the "core Eudicots.")
• Family -Eracaceae
• Genus - Kalmia
• Species - latifolia
  

Range:  From southern Maine to northwest Florida. It can be found as far west as Mississippi with patches in Indiana and Louisiana as well.

Showing off its evergreen properties in the snow

The ovine names above were bestowed upon the plant because of its poisonous properties. It has been known to kill sheep, cattle, and horses and is also toxic to humans. I was alarmed to read that the plant is toxic, yet used in food... and that it isn't one of those situations in which the toxicity is removed with cooking. I dare not investigate this further, lest I become paralyzed with fear.

Mountain laurels are gregarious in this area, and quite hardy. I have of course found them in Shenandoah National Park, but I have also noted their presence in myriad other places. Patuxent wildlife refuge has its share, as does Seneca Creek State Park. The flowers of course are the easiest way to identify this species, but the leaves are also fairly distinctive, at least when compared to other shrubs of the Mid-Atlantic.

The family to which it belongs, commonly referred to as the "heath' or "heather" family, is also home to a variety of familiar plants. Several berries (blueberries and cranberries, notably) are members of this family. Azaleas and rhododendrons also fit here, as do the common heathers of Europe.

Showing off its hardiness by growing from a rock.

I want to conclude with a note about the "taxonomic breakdown" I have been including in these features. It is important to note that these things are fluid, and one biologist may not agree with another over a species' placement. Further muddling this is the fact that there are even competing systems of classification, and that when it comes to plants phyla, classes, and orders are really "clades" which are not quite at the same level of biological classification. I have listed them that way to avoid confusion, and hope that I haven't instead created confusion. Believe it or not, Wikipedia is a reasonably reliable source for sorting this all out. I don't trust it to have the most current information, but it does do a good job of discussing the competing systems and, for example, what an "Angiosperm" is.