BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS 141 



glory of woodland and hill slope, and is the most 

 beautiful of evergreen shrubs native of eastern North 

 America. Many Asiatic Rhododendrons have larger 

 leaves and larger and more brilliantly colored flowers, 

 but of all the broad-leaved evergreen plants which can 

 be grown successfully in this climate, Kalmia latifolia 

 is the handsomest and most satisfactory. There is a 

 variety (alba) with pure white flowers and another 

 (rubra) with deep pink, nearly red flowers and rather 

 dark leaves. Between these extremes there are forms 

 with flowers of all shades of pink and there is one 

 (fuscata) with flowers conspicuously marked by a 

 chocolate band. Another variety (polypetala) has the 

 flowers segmented into narrow lobes, but this plant is 

 not very ornamental. The variety obtusata, which 

 rarely flowers, has broad, handsome, Rhododendron- 

 like leaves. Lastly, there is a dwarf variety (myrti- 

 folia) with small leaves and small clusters of minute 

 flowers. All these varieties are sports from the wild 

 type and have all been found on wild plants. By 

 hybridization and selection it is highly probable that 

 new and improved forms could be evolved. In the 

 matter of soil and situation, the Mountain Laurel is 

 not exacting, but it is fond of leaf mould and an 

 autumnal mulch of leaves is beneficial. Like other 

 members of the great Heather family, it detests lime- 



