Bog Laurel

Kalmia polifolia Wangenh.

Heath family

Plant Type

Shrub

Life Cycle

Perennial

Mature Height

12 inches

Spread

4.0 feet

Flower Color

Purple

Bloom Time

Late Spring

Growing Conditions

Light

Shade Tolerance Tolerant

Water

Water Use Medium

Drought Tolerance Low

Flood Tolerance Medium

Soil

Soil Types Clay, Loam, Sand

CaCO3 Tolerance Medium

Fertility Need Low

Stress Tolerance

Fire Tolerance Medium

Salt Tolerance None

Climate

pH Range 6.0 – 7.3

Frost-Free Days 85 days

Precipitation 12 – 20 in

Ecosystem & Wildlife

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

Larval Host Acronicta lanceolaria, Apharetra dentata, Lycaeides argyrognomon nabokovi, Lycaeides idas, Xylotype arcadia

Fall Color No

Evergreen Yes

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.