The Mountains in Bloom
By Betsey Gordon

The Pennsylvania woods are abloom in spring and summer with many native plants and trees, not least among them the shrub called mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, the state flower. Mountain laurel begins to bloom in Pennsylvania in late May and continues well into June. The flowers are pink, white, and rose, an inch wide and cuplike, occurring in three– to six–inch clusters. Turned upside-down, the flower resembles the hoop-skirted southern bell of the Civil War era. The leaves are shaped like a lance, dark green and glossy, three or four inches long and are leather like in texture, resembling the leaves of the rhododendron, but usually smaller in size. A member of the health family, Ericaceae, which includes huckleberries, blueberries, cranberries, and rhododendrons, mountain laurel is one of a small number of broad-leafed plants native to Pennsylvania whose leaves are evergreen and do not fall during the winter. The shrub can be found on most of Pennsylvania’s wooded hillsides. Mountainous regions can boast abundant growth of the plant.

But it had an uphill climb to gain its status as state flower. In 1927 the state’s General Assembly, pressured by tulip tree lovers, considered a proposal to have the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) designated both state flower and state tree, but the Assembly adjourned without making any decision in the matter.

When a movement in 1931 resulted in the adoption of the eastern hemlock (Tsunga Canadensis L.) as the state tree, the battle of the wildflowers began. On May 5, 1933, after two years of bickering, the fight was over. It was reported that Gov. Gifford Pinchot, caught between western politicos who favored the wild honeysuckle and easterners who favored the mountain laurel, acted in his own best interests and let his wife decide. And thus we have the graceful mountain laurel as our state flower.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, DCNR, the state flower is not afforded protected status, and there are no legal restrictions on its cultivation.

If you are considering adding mountain laurel to your landscape, there are some important considerations. Its normal height is from four to 10 feet, and it will grow in any light, but will flower best in the sun. In the garden it requires cool, moist, well-drained soil, and is very hardy and cold resistant. Little pruning is necessary, and it is best done after flowering. Growth will be more vigorous if seed capsules are removed.  The key to successful gardening is always to select healthy plants and place them in their preferred environment. A rock garden shows off Pennsylvania’s state flower in all its glory.

Betsy Gordon is a master gardener. You can direct gardening questions to master gardeners at 570-724-9120 or email tiogaext@psu.edu.