mountain laurel

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mountain laurel

shrub

Also known as: American laurel, Kalmia latifolia, calico bush, spoonwood

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Related Topics:: kalmia

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mountain laurel, (Kalmia latifolia), Flowering evergreen shrub of the heath family, occurring in most mountainous regions of eastern North America. It grows to about 3–18 feet (1–6 metres) in height and has oval leaves. The rosy, pink, or white flowers appear in large clusters above the foliage. The shrub is popular in landscape plantings.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.