The name "Calico-bush" comes from the pink-trimmed waxy white blossoms.
The flowers are borne on one-inch pedicels and produced in terminal
clusters or corymbs four to six inches across. The buds are conical,
fluted and deeper pink. When the campanulate flowers open, the
corollas appear as five-sided, white, inverted parasols about an inch
across with pink dots and a wavy pink line in the center. The ten stamens
in each flower have anthers buried in individual "pockets" in the corolla
completing the illusion of parasols with dainty ribs.
Mark Catesby discovered mountain-laurel during his travels in the Carolinas and Virginia and introduced it to Europe in 1726. It was Kalm who discovered the poisonous properties of the foliage when some sheep belonging to the expedition in which he travelled almost died after browsing the leaves, hence the name "lambkill." Horses are susceptible, but deer seem not to be so seriously affected. However, deer do not appear to prefer it, browsing this only when little else is available. Honey made from mountain-laurel is also believed to be poisonous.
To find mountain-laurel in the wild, watch for the distinctive shiny evergreen foliage under hardwoods on the coastal plain, along the rivers in cool, acid but well-drained areas, especially along the Blue Ridge or westward. Along openings created by trails and roads and in the interstate medians, these plants often form a glossy green wall at the edge of the forest. Usually six to ten feet high, these handsome shrubs may reach 20-30 feet in height and form tangled patches so dense that they are difficult to walk or even crawl through. That characteristic plus the shiny smooth appearance of large patches earned them the names "laurel hell" and "laurel slick" from early settlers. Where lumbering operations or fires removed the canopy trees, the mountain-laurel often forms almost pure stands. In bloom, the "laurel slicks" of the highlands become "pink beds."
The plants tolerate a range of soils from sandy areas to shallow, rocky, mountain soil, and can tolerate generally dry sites. On richer sites, the plants will be more robust and taller. Where winter wind and ice effects are severe, plants may be shorter with many multi-branched stems. Picking the flowers for bouquets will not work well unless the stems can be placed in water immediately. Branches are sometimes cut to use as Christmas decorations, though this practice is discouraged in the wild. Finding dry capsules in the winter, split like orange sections, is fun for children. Watching for bees to trigger the stamens or trying to produce this effect is amusing, also. Small seed-eating birds perch precariously on small stems and retrieve seeds. In winter bouquets, branches with dry capsules may provide both textural contrast and color.
Like other members of the family Ericaceae, mountain-laurel needs acid soil and excellent drainage. Though it grows naturally in sites ranging from dry, rocky slopes to moist stream banks, these locations are always well-drained. Pine bark is a good soil amendment and can also be used for a mulch to keep the shallow roots slightly moist and cool. Plants will grow in shade, but flowering will be better with at least three or four hours of sun.
Under cultivation, mountain-laurel stays around six to ten feet tall and is an excellent broadleaf evergreen for both formal and naturalistic settings. Several plants can be massed to provide a dense hedge or screen. Single plants are attractive accents in shrub bonders, or it can be mixed with ferns and wildflowers in woodland gardens. Mountain-laurel is a fine low-maintenance plant for a naturalistic garden where it can grow unchecked into the picturesque form associated with plants in the wild. In formal or structured gardens, it can be kept compact with light pruning after flowering. Plants that have become tall and leggy can be severely pruned to stimulate dense new growth. Remove dead blossoms before seed forms for better flowering the following year.
Plants are not easily transplanted and should not be dug from the wild, but obtained from readily available nursery stock.
For a list of retail sources of nursery-propagated plants and responsibly collected seed, visit our Plant Nursery Page or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Virginia Native Plant Society, 400 Blandy Farm Lane - Unit 2, Boyce, VA 22620.