From the heather family of plants, a genus of flowering shrubs has emerged whose exquisite beauty and charisma is hard to beat. The laurel rose with the botanical name Kalmia latifolia grows very slowly, but in return produces beautiful, delicate flowers, each of which is a gem of nature. They are surrounded by shiny green leaves that are reminiscent of laurel leaves and remain on the bush even in winter. Although the Kalmie is completely hardy, it is rarely cultivated in the local regions. Part of the reason may be that all parts of the plant are poisonous, not just to dogs, cats and horses, but to the gardener himself.
Table of Contents
maintenance
The laurel rose, also known as mountain laurel, is a very location-tolerant flowering shrub that shows its enchanting floral bloom from May to June. Contrary to the frequently held view that Kalmia is difficult to cultivate and care for, the opposite is actually the case. If you heed the following tips and advice, you will enrich your garden with this rare flowering shrub for many years:
- A sunny to partially shaded position is ideal.
- Some varieties are shade tolerant.
- A warm, wind-protected place promotes growth.
- The substrate is rich in humus, contains peat and is slightly acidic.
- Addition of lime-free sand for more permeability.
- Fertilizers are not required or only very slightly required.
- Remove faded flowers from time to time.
- Water only when the soil surface is dry.
- Keep permanently slightly moist in a sunny location.
- Water preferably with low-lime rainwater.
- Mulch regularly to keep the soil moist.
- Young Kalmia need light winter protection.
- Always wear gloves, eye and mouth protection when working.
Since the laurel rose blooms right after rhododendron and azalea, resembles them visually and has the same requirements in terms of location and care, the species complement each other perfectly.
Plant properly
In the North American homeland, the mountain laurel grows 200 cm and higher in the wild. In ornamental gardens and parks, a growth height of a maximum of 100 cm can usually be expected. Kalmie is therefore not only suitable for the design of flower borders and woodland borders, but also decorates the balcony and terrace in the same way in the bucket. Experienced gardeners already take into account the requirements of the flowering shrub when planting, so that it feels comfortable right from the start and shows the desired flowering willingness.
plants in the bed
Ideally, the Kalmia latifolia is planted between September and May. At this point it should neither freeze nor be too warm and dry. Well-managed tree nurseries usually stock the laurel rose in containers and rarely in bales. Planting takes place in the following steps:
- If there are no indicator plants at the selected location that indicate a slightly acidic soil quality, such as sorrel or blue-flowering hydrangeas, the pH value is determined using a test set. The result should show a pH of 6 to 6.5. If the value is below 5.5, some lime is added to the potting soil. The ambitious hobby gardener then digs a planting hole that is at least twice as large as the root ball of the laurel rose. The excavation is filled into a wheelbarrow and mixed with rotted leaves or garden compost.
- If there is a risk of waterlogging on site, the sole is loosened with a rake. A few handfuls of gravel, expanded clay, perlite or crushed pottery shards are then poured in for drainage and covered with a thin layer of the substrate.
- The laurel rose is removed from the container and placed in a bucket of rainwater for a few minutes until no more air bubbles rise. Under no circumstances should the plant be touched by the root neck, because it is very sensitive there. It is better to only grab the shrub by the root ball itself.
- Now the flowering bush can be planted, at the same time creating a watering rim with a slight slope towards the middle.
- Finally, water the planting site well and cover it with a layer of mulch made of leaves.
Kalmie is preferably planted as a solitary plant. However, their habit also makes them a good candidate for flowering hedges. In this case, the planting distance is 50 cm to 60 cm. Due to the more than leisurely growth rate, the laurel rose is not suitable if a privacy hedge is to be created within a short time.
plants in the bucket
The evergreen shrub also cuts a fine figure in the planter. In this case, the hobby gardener uses commercially available rhododendron soil, which is mixed with leaf soil and some sand. The drainage hole for excess irrigation water is important for successful cultivation. This is covered with a drainage made of coarse material and an additional piece of garden or weed fleece. Otherwise, the experienced gardener proceeds in exactly the same way as when planting in the bed. You can safely do without a start fertilization.
multiply
The laurel rose is difficult to propagate, since cuttings rarely root. Sowing is out of the question. As a rule, propagation is only successful in vitro, i.e. in the test tube, in laboratories specially set up for this purpose. This is also the reason for the rather high purchase price of just under 30 euros for a 40 cm high plant. However, various garden enthusiasts report good success when propagating through sinkers:
- A healthy, non-lignified shoot is pulled to the ground.
- There it is covered with earth in a previously created channel.
- In addition, several stones ensure that he does not straighten up again.
- The tip of the shoot must still protrude from the layer of earth.
- Water regularly with willow water for accelerated rooting.
Experienced experts advise scoring the shoot in two or three places with a razor blade or a sharp knife so that the sinker roots faster. If the branch is particularly stubborn, the resourceful hobby gardener reaches into his bag of tricks to prevent it from soaring up again. With some staples (U-shaped nails) from the tool box or the pegs from the camping equipment, the sinker is securely fastened to the ground.
Impressive varieties
So far, the Kalmia latifolia has been considered an insider tip among hobby gardeners. On the other hand, it is to be expected that this situation will change, because various gifted breeders are constantly succeeding in creating new, even more magnificent varieties:
Laurel Rose ‘Minuet’
- Growth height after 10 years approx. 70 cm
- Height of growth in old age 100 cm to 150 cm
- white flowers with a dark red border
- Flowering time May to June
Laurel Rose ‘Olympic Wedding’
- light pink flowers
- bushy growth habit up to 150 cm
- Flowering time from mid-June
Kalmia latifolia ‚Bandeau‘
- up to 3 cm large soft pink flowers
- red-brown band inside the flower
- up to 200 flowers in May and June
- upright, bushy growth
- resistant to fungal diseases
Kalmia latifolia ‚Beacon‘ – Leuchtfeuer
- intensely luminous, red-pink flowers
- particularly large leaves
- pink buds
- extremely robust variety
- also thrives in rougher locations
Kalmia latifolia ‚Black Label‘
- one of the largest varieties
- grows to 260 cm x 260 cm in 10 years
- white flowers with a black ring and white border
- Buds appear white-pink
Dwarf Laurel Rose ‘Elf’
- compact habit
- many pure white flowers
- disease resistant
- perfectly hardy
Kalmia latifolia ‚Galaxy‘
- breathtakingly beautiful variety
- wide corolla of flowers
- star-shaped flowers in burgundy
- fading white towards the middle
- Growth height after 10 years approx. 130 cm
Bay Rose ‘Midnight’
- very rare variety
- Flower color chocolate black with white edge
- healthy and resistant plant
- Growth height after 10 years approx. 120 cm
Kalmia latifolia ‚Pinkobello‘
- rounded, compact growth
- dark pink flowers, white with dots inside
- raspberry red buds with a light edge
- extremely decorative effect
Kalmia latifolia ‚Eskimo‘
- special variety for shady locations
- large, dark green leaves up to 10 cm long
- bright white flowers with 10 red dots each
- resistant and hardy
Kalmia latifolia ‚Ewa‘
- unusually vigorous
- soft pink flowers with maroon stripes
- Flower diameter about 3 cm
- Inflorescence up to 180
- Growth height after 10 years approx. 130 cm
Kalmie Nani’
- bears up to incredible 250 flowers
- Flower color white with cinnamon colored band
- completely resistant to leaf spot disease
- flowers from an early age
- slow growth: after 10 years approx. 90 cm
Lorbeerrose ‚You can‘
- Variety with the strongest growth
- after 10 years 2 m high and 1 m wide
- pink flowers with reddish streaks
The varieties presented are just a small excerpt from the multifaceted range. They all have in common complete winter hardiness and resistance to fungal diseases. However, there are big differences in terms of the inflorescence, which ranges between 40 and 250 flowers, and the flower size, which varies from 2 cm to 6 cm in diameter.
To cut
Like most species among the heather plants, the evergreen squid is extremely tolerant of pruning; However, such a measure is necessary in the rarest of cases. Even if the laurel roses are to form a hedge in the long term, a cut is not necessary every year due to the slow growth. The only thing that should be done in spring is regular pruning of branches that are too weak, dried out or growing inwards. If the aim is to encourage a young flowering bush to branch even more extensively, the shoots are slightly shortened in spring before flowering above an outward-facing eye. The quality of the cutting tool is of crucial importance in the context of this measure. It must not crush the twigs, but must be so sharp that that a smooth cut is produced. In the event that a larger wound is caused, the experienced hobby gardener treats it immediately with a wound sealant.
Laurel rose in the garden design
So far it has rarely been found in parks and gardens and is considered by hobby gardeners to be an insider tip for an ornamental plant that not everyone has to offer. The Kalmie comes up with a variety of inspiring perspectives on garden design. In particular, the flowering shrub harmonizes with:
- Azaleen
- flower dogwood
- lavender heather
- beautiful glocke
- First
- Rhododendron
- snowdrop
In addition, thanks to the lush green leaves, most varieties are ideal as a backdrop for perennial borders, which reach their decorative peak in May and June during flowering. The only thing you should pay attention to is the color combination, since Kalmia latifolia usually blooms in a wide variety of shades of red, which visually ‘bite’ with, for example, orange flowers blooming at the same time. Thanks to their incomparable flower structure, the Kalmia latifolia achieve a powerful long-distance effect that magically attracts everyone’s attention. The imaginative hobby gardener knows how to use this attribute by positioning the flowering shrubs in the tub on the balcony, on the patio in the garden or in the entrance area of the house.
Conclusion
The evergreen flowering shrub is still unknown to most hobby gardeners. Once you get to know its impressive habit, its porcelain-like flowers and its resilience, you won’t want to be without it again. Completely wrongly he is described as difficult in the culture. The opposite is the case. Kalmia latifolia will thrive in almost any location, as long as the soil quality is slightly acidic and it gets a regular dose of water. Fertilizing is just as little necessary as cutting or time-consuming wintering.
