WorldFloraDB - Kalmia latifolia

Characteristics

Shrubs or, rarely, trees, erect, (1-)2-8(-12) m. Twigs terete, viscid, stipitate-glandular, glabrescent. Leaves alternate (seemingly whorled on slow-growing twigs); petiole 10-30 mm, glabrous or puberulent, sometimes stipitate-glandular; blade elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 4-12 × 1.5-5 cm, margins plane, apex acute, surfaces stipitate-glandular, glabrescent abaxially, glabrous, midrib puberulent adaxially. Inflorescences terminal, panicles, (12-)20-40-flowered. Pedicels 20-40 mm. Flowers: sepals green to reddish, usually oblong, 3-3.5 mm, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or stipitate-glandular; petals connate nearly their entire lengths, usually pink (ranging from deep red to white) with purple spots around each anther pocket, 20-25 × 15-30 mm, abaxial surface usually lightly stipitate-glandular, adaxial puberulent; filaments 4-5 mm; style 10-18 mm. Capsules 5-locular, 3-5 × 4-7 mm, stipitate-glandular. Seeds winged, obovoid and curved, 0.5-1 mm. 2n = 24.

More

Shrub or small tree 2–3(–10) m, often forming dense thickets; petioles 1–2 cm; lvs all or mostly alternate, leathery, elliptic or lanceolate, 5–10 cm, usually acute at both ends, rich green, glabrous; fls numerous in terminal corymbs, on pedicels 1–4 cm; sep lance-oblong, 3 mm, not imbricate; cor white to rose with purple markings, 2–2.5 cm wide; fr depressed-globose, 6–8 mm wide; 2n=24. Woods, chiefly in sandy or rocky, acid soils; se. Me. to Ga., w. to s. O., s. Ind., Miss., w. Fla., and se. La.

Life form

perennial

Growth form

shrub

Growth support

free-standing

Foliage retention

evergreen

Sexuality

hermaphrodite

Pollination

entomogamy

Spread

-

Mature width (meter)

1.5 - 2.5

Mature height (meter)

1.9 - 3.0

Root system

-

Rooting depth (meter)

0.6

Root diameter (meter)

-

Flower color

Blooming months

Jan	Feb	Mar
Apr	May	Jun
Jul	Aug	Sep
Oct	Nov	Dec

Fruit color

-

Fruiting months

Jan	Feb	Mar
Apr	May	Jun
Jul	Aug	Sep
Oct	Nov	Dec

Nitrogen fixer

-

Photosynthetic pathway

c3

Environment

Rich rocky, or dry gravelly woods in the shade of deciduous trees, and swamps in acid soils. Prefers sandy or rocky soils.

Light
Soil humidity
Soil texture
Soil acidity
Soil nutriment	-
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

Uses	dye environmental use forage material medicinal poison wood
Edible	-
Therapeutic use	Analgesic (leaf), Antirheumatic (External) (leaf), Dermatological Aid (leaf), Orthopedic Aid (leaf), Panacea (leaf), Antidiarrheal (leaf), Disinfectant (unspecified), Orthopedic Aid (unspecified), Poison (unspecified), Dermatological Aid (unspecified), Alterative (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Blood (unspecified), Cardiac (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Eye (unspecified), Hemorrhage (unspecified), Infection (unspecified), Narcotic (unspecified), Sedative (unspecified), Skin (unspecified), Suicide (unspecified), Syphilis (unspecified), Rash (unspecified), Dysentery (unspecified), Eruption (unspecified), Mucous Membrane (unspecified)
Human toxicity	toxic (leaf)
Animal toxicity	strong toxic (leaf)

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.

Mode	cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days)	30 - 60
Germination temperacture (C°)	21
Germination luminosity	light
Germination treatment	stratification
Minimum temperature (C°)	-30
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-