Flower profile

Mountain laurel

Kalmia latifolia

Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a shrub or small tree in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.

★ Official state flower of Connecticut (1907)★ Official state flower of Pennsylvania (1933)Native in the lower 48

Mountain laurel is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 17 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

24states where USDA records it

17Bloomipedia state lists include it

56,172U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

🏅

Connecticut's official state flower since 1907. Visit the Connecticut page → ^{Conn. Gen. Stat. § 3-108}

🏅

Pennsylvania's official state flower since 1933. Visit the Pennsylvania page → ^{71 P.S. § 1006 (Act of May 5, 1933, P.L. 457, No. 107)}

Quick look

Kalmia latifolia, the mountain laurel, calico-bush, or spoonwood, is a flowering plant and one of the 10 species in the genus of Kalmia belonging to the heath(er) family Ericaceae. It is native to the eastern United States. Its range stretches from southern Maine to northern Florida, and west to Indiana and Louisiana. Mountain laurel is the state flower of Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
From Wikipedia's article Kalmia latifolia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ericaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 24 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 6 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 7,176 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #6 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 6,777 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #6 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 5,533 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #25 among the 190 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (5,963 records)

Bloom time in the 17 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Virginia	Native	May–June	7,176
North Carolina	Native	April–June	6,777
Pennsylvania	Native	May–June	5,533
Massachusetts	Native	June	5,520
Maryland	Native	May–June	5,061
New Jersey	Native	May–June	3,962
New York	Native	June	3,755
Tennessee	Native	April–June	3,412
Georgia	Native	April–May	2,815
Connecticut	Native	May–June	2,806
West Virginia	Native	May–June	2,009
Alabama	Native	April–May	1,395
South Carolina	Native	April–May	1,245
Kentucky	Native	May	1,189
New Hampshire	Native	June	1,041
Rhode Island	Native	June	743
Delaware	Native	few records (13)	155

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 13 of our 17 states.

See each state

Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: S5, secure in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: S5, secure in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
Kentucky: Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. ^{400 KAR 3:040}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S5, secure in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}

New York

Exploitably vulnerable On New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3): exploitably vulnerable (protected from picking without the landowner's permission). NatureServe: S5, secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}

West Virginia

No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.

Alabama

No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.

South Carolina

No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: LA (S2), ME (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: it's on New York's rare plant list (exploitably vulnerable). ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “The toxic principle interferes with normal skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and nerve function. Clinical effects typically occur within a few hours after ingestion, and can include acute digestive upset, excessive drooling, loss of appetite, frequent bowel…” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Laurel” (Kalmia latifolia) lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Typically not very palatable to horses unless it is the only forage available, but sheep and goats may graze readily on the plant. The toxic principle interferes with normal skeletal muscle, cardiac… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records mountain laurel in 24 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Highland, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, Wythe, York.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Bladen, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Cumberland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Hoke, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Orange, Person, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wayne, Wilkes, Yancey.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Mountain laurel a low shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.5 to 5.5 and winter lows down to -23 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 4.5 to 5.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: -23 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 150
Annual precipitation range: 32 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth: 24 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Slow
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Spring to Summer
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for KALA. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 664 counties across 24 states; the most are in Virginia (97), North Carolina (69), Pennsylvania (64).

Other Kalmia on Bloomipedia (3): Sheep laurel, Western bog laurel, Alpine azalea.

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap, Trailing arbutus (mayflower).

More Virginia flowers

Striped wintergreen

Chimaphila maculata

Native

🌼 Blooms in VA: June–July

Ghost pipe

Monotropa uniflora

Native

🌼 Blooms in VA: June–August

Pinxter flower

Rhododendron periclymenoides

Native

🌼 Blooms in VA: April–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile KALA.
iNaturalist, Kalmia latifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Kalmia latifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 3-108: Connecticut state flower.
71 P.S. § 1006 (Act of May 5, 1933, P.L. 457, No. 107): Pennsylvania state flower.
State rare and invasive plant lists (29):
Show all 29 state lists
- Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
- Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
- Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
- Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
- New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
- New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
- New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
- New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
- Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
- Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
- Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
- West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
- Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- Kentucky: Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026).
- Kentucky: Kentucky noxious weeds and invasive plants on state rights-of-way (KRS 176.051; species list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet).
- New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
- New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
- Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
- Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Kalmia latifolia (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Steven Lamonde via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.