418 BRECK’S NEW BOOK OF FLOWERS. 
KALMIA.—Amenican LAUREL. 
[A small genus of handsome evergreen indigenous shrubs. Named in honor of 
Peter Kalm, a pupil of Linnzus.) 
KAlmia latifolia.—Mountain Laurel, Spoon Wood, ete. 
—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 deep 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 deepred. 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 with 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. angustifolia.— Narrow-leaved Kalmia, Sheep-Laurel. 
—This is a low shrub, that covers Yarge 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 the 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 high. 
