Bog Laurel

Kalmia polifolia Wangenh. - Heath family

Size

Mature Height: Up to around 12 inches

Planting Distance: 4.0 feet

Plant Type: Shrub

Root Depth: 12 inches

Growth Form: Multiple Stem

Growth Rate: Slow

Features

Flower Color: Purple

Conspicuous Flowers: Yes

Bloom Time: Late Spring

Seasonal Growth: Spring and Summer

Evergreen: Yes

Fall Colors: No

Conditions

Shade Tolerance: Tolerant

Clay Soil Tolerance: Yes

Sandy Soil Tolerance: Yes

Drought Tolerance: Low

Flood Tolerance: Medium

Fire Tolerance: Medium

Salt Tolerance: None

Ecosystem Interactions

Pollinators: Native Bees; Bombus; Beetles, Wasps, Flies; Larval Host (Butterfly); Larval Host (Moth)

Larval Species depending on Bog Laurel: Acronicta lanceolaria, Apharetra dentata, Lycaeides argyrognomon nabokovi, Lycaeides idas, Xylotype arcadia

Native Range

  • CAN:  Alberta, Newfoundland, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territorie, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Québec, Saskatchewan
  • USA:  Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Regional Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.