142 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 



stone. This Kalmia is essentially a social plant and 

 when massed together is most effective. 



The two other Kalmias (K. angustifolia and K. 

 glauca) hardy in this climate are much less ornamental 

 but are likewise evergreen. The former, familiarly 

 known as the Sheep Laurel, is common in swampy 

 places from Maine to Georgia and westward to Wis- 

 consin. It is a branching shrub growing from 

 a foot to a yard tall, and has dull olive-green leaves 

 and clusters of crimson-pink flowers. It is popu- 

 larly believed to be poisonous to sheep. The other 

 species, known as the Pale Laurel has much the same 

 distribution. It is a twiggy and smaller plant with 

 flattened stems, narrow leaves with recurved edges 

 and white on the under side and has terminal clusters 

 of pale lilac to crimson-pink flowers. It is essentially 

 a moisture-loving plant. Closely related to the Pale 

 Laurel and very similar in habit, foliage, and general 

 appearance is Andromeda polifolia. This is a low 

 shrub from one to two feet tall, with slender stems and 

 small clusters of pinkish urn-shaped flowers and is 

 distributed through the cold, temperate, and sub- 

 arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. 



Another very hardy member of the Heath family 

 is Pieris floribunda (better known as Andromeda jlori- 

 bunda), which opens its small, white, Heather-like 



