Connecticut State Flower
Mountain Laurel (common name) Kalmia latifolia (scientific name) Overview The mountain laurel is a tall evergreen shrub considered one the most beautiful of the endemic American shrubs. It is found on rocky hillsides in the wild but is also a common ornamental plant due to its showy clusters of pink flowers that contrast nicely with its dark green leaves. Native Americans used to make spoons out of mountain laurels and called the plant "spoon wood." The plant was recorded in John Smith’s General History of Virginia, but it was not named until 1750. The laurel was brought to Europe as an ornamental plant during the 18th century and was designated the state flower of Connecticut in 1907. Close-up STATUS Official ALSO KNOWN AS Ivybush, calico bush, sheep laurel, lambkill, clamoun, spoon wood PHYSICAL DETAILS Duration: Perennial Plant: Shrub Mature Height: 5–30 feet (1.5–9 m) tall Flowering: May to June Flowers: 3/4 to 1 inch (1.9–2.5 cm) blooms at the end of branch tips; star-shaped clusters 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) in diameter. Flower Color: White and pink Leaves: shiny dark green; elliptical; 2–5 inches (3–12 cm) long; 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches (1–4 cm) wide Fruit/Seed Color: Brown HABITAT Location: Rocky slopes, water edges, and the edges of mountainous forest areas where light filters through the forest canopy. Range: From Indiana to Maine in the north and from Louisiana to Florida in the south (threatened in Florida, Maine, and New York). TRIVIA The mountain laurel is considered a symbol of ambition. All parts of the plant (flowers, green parts, twigs, and pollen) are poisonous to humans if ingested. The mountain laurel can live for up to a century.
	Click to enlarge an image Butterfly Extracting Nectar from Mountain Laurel Mountain Laurel Close-up of Mountain Laurel Flower CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Ericales Family: Ericaceae Genus: Kalmia Species: K. latifolia
	Author: World Trade Press