Bloomipedia
Sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia)
Photo: Joseph Rucker via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Sheep laurel

Kalmia angustifolia

Sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia) is a shrub in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Sheep laurel is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–July.

14states where USDA records it
6Bloomipedia state lists include it
15,821U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont

Quick look

Kalmia angustifolia is a flowering shrub in the family Ericaceae, commonly known by various names including sheep laurel, wicky, and dwarf laurel. Like many plant species of infertile habitats it has evergreen leaves and mycorrhizal associations with fungi.

  • It belongs to the Ericaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 14 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont and Rhode Island. NatureServe
  • In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. iNaturalist
  • In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,972 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #8 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,855 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #38 among the 188 flowers on our Massachusetts list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,596 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #15 among the 157 flowers on our New Hampshire list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,920 records)
Bloom time in the 6 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
MaineNativeJune–July3,972
MassachusettsNativeJune3,855
New HampshireNativeJune–July2,596
New JerseyNativeMay–June1,380
VermontNativeJune–July865
Rhode IslandNativeJune–September378

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 6 of our 6 states.
See each state
Maine
Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. Maine rare plant list
Massachusetts
Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. MESA list
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
New Jersey
Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Jersey. N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
Vermont
Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Vermont. Vermont E&T list
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
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: flowers, fruits, leaves, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “May be fatal If eaten in large quantities. Salivation, watering of eyes and nose, slow pulse, nausea, vomiting, sweating, abdominal pain, headache, tingling of skin, lack of coordination, convulsions, and paralysis, diarrhea, weakness, cardiac failure.” NC State Extension

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Lambkill” (Kalmia augustifolia) lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. 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 sheep laurel in 14 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 167 counties across 12 states; the most are in New York (29), Pennsylvania (27), Michigan (20).

Other Kalmia on Bloomipedia (3): Mountain 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 Maine flowers

Ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

Ghost pipe

Monotropa uniflora

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: July–September
Eastern teaberry (wintergreen) (Gaultheria procumbens)

Eastern teaberry (wintergreen)

Gaultheria procumbens

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: July–August
Rhodora (Rhododendron canadense)

Rhodora

Rhododendron canadense

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: May–June

Sources