K is for Kalmia latifolia, the beautiful mountain laurel, is a hardy broadleaf evergreen that blooms in May. It should be deadheaded after it blooms. Kalmia prefers acid, moist but well drained humusy soil, and some shade. In nature it is an understory shrub in the woodlands. It tolerates deer and rabbits.

The native Kalmia used to bear white flowers tinged with pink, but now hybrids bring an array of colors to the garden from a pure  white ‘Pristine’ to a pink and white ‘Peppermint’ and a brilliant red ‘Olympic Fire.’ Wayside Gardens and Dayton Nursery each offer a selection of varieties.

The kalmias pictured here bloom on the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls. I bought a native kalmia for my new garden and managed to plant it in a raised bed that is sufficiently dry (I hope) to  thrive. Linnaeus named the genus Kalmia after Swedish botanist Peter Kalm (1716-1779) who explored plant life in parts of eastern North America from 1747 to 1751.

I am participating in the A to Z Challenge – posting every day in April. So far so good.