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Need help w/ ID, Kalmia?

17 years ago

Our lot is generally low (moist even in times of drought), and was wooded, overgrown pasture when we built our home. Native plants include Osmunda ferns (cinnamomea, claytoniana, regalis), Athyrium felix-femina, Onoclea, High bush blueberries, low bush blueberries, Gaultheria procumbens, mosses, and a ton of delightful little spring ephemeral bulbs, and Lady slippers.

I've been watching this plant for some years now, but this is the firest time it's flowered; there are several of them all preferring the higher ground where it's well drained. Looks like Kalmia, but is really quite small, everything about it is more petite and delicate. It appears to want to spread more, the same way low bush blueberries do.

Can you help me out?

Here is a link that might be useful: Is this a Kalmia?

Comments (3)

candyinpok
17 years ago
http://www.geocities.com/yinchoy3/WildFlowers/Pink/SheepLaurel01.jpg

Sheep Laurel / Kalmia angustifolia / Kalmia Ã feuilles Ã©troites

That's my guess.
winged_mammal
17 years ago
Its definitely sheep laurel. Kalmia Angustifolia. They are rare where I live in Maryland, growing around bogs. They are more more common in Maine though I suspect.
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chelone
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks very much for confirming what I suspected. I don't have a good reference for wild flowers/shrubs and your experience was very helpful.

It's an interesting little thing, really quite pretty, not more than 30-36" H and seems to colonize an area, rather than growing as a shrub. It prefers the higher ground (better drained), rather than the low area that is soggy and drains into a small pond. I like plants like this one. While they're rarely flashy, they're superbly adapted to the site and reveal a delicacy to those willing to simply leave them alone. Now I have a name!

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