418 breck's xeav book of flowers. 



KALMIA. — American Laurel. 



[A small genus of hanLiSome evergreen indigenous shrubs. Named in honor of 

 Peter Kahn, a pupil of Linnaeus.] 



Kalmia latifolia* — Mountain Laurel, Spoon Wood, etc. 

 — Its general height is from five to ten feet, but may some- 

 times be seen rising from fifteen to twenty feet, among the 

 rocks, and forms almost impenetrable thickets, by its 

 crooked and unyielding trunks, locked and entangled with 

 each other. The leaves are about three or four inches long, 

 evergreen, giving much life to the forests in the winter, 

 by their deej) shining-green. The flowers are disposed in 

 large corymbs, at the extremity of the branches ; numer- 

 ous ; of a pure white, blush, or a beautiful rose-color, and 

 more rarely, a deep red. The season of flowering is in the 

 months of June and July. Nothing can exceed the mag- 

 nificence of its appearance when in full bloom. The soil 

 in which it best succeeds is soft, loose, and cool, with a 

 northern exposure. The foliage is the richest when the 

 plant is grown in the shade. The soil suitable for its 

 growth, is the same as recommended for the Azalea. 

 Young plants, taken up Avith balls of earth attached, will 

 succeed well in the garden, in the shade. Those from 

 open pastures will flourish best, if such can be found. 

 There is no shrub, foreign or native, that will exceed this 

 in splendor, when well grown. 



K. an^UStifolia. — Narrow-leaved Kalmia, Sheep-Laurel. 

 — This is a low shrub, that covers large tracts of cold, 

 moist land, in almost every section of the country. It is 

 a great nuisance to the farmer, who looks suspiciously upon 

 it, as it has the reputation of being poisonous to sheep 

 and other animals, which, for tlie sake of variety or want 

 of other food, sometimes feed upon it. Blooms in June 

 and July; flowers red, or deep pink, and I have seen a 

 white variety ; leaves evergreen ; growing from one to 

 two feet hi oh. 



