mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
native, ornamental
picture taken in june
a native ornamental! something people plant on purpose for decoration that's actually from the area is a bit unusual! mountain laurel is a tree-like bush - it can get very tall, like 25 feet! - with clusters of interestingly-shaped flowers. i've only seen them with white flowers, but they can apparently also be pink!
mountain laurel is tolerant of a range of soil and light conditions, growing anywhere from a forest to a front lawn. the leaves are thick, shiny, a little leathery, and evergreen. it apparently recovers well from fire!
wood of the mountain laurel is strong but brittle - it's sometimes called spoonwood because you can make spoons out of it! since it's not a full tree it doesn't get big enough for big planks, but it's good for small things.
mountain laurel is toxic to many animals - don't be drawn in by the tempting glossy leaves, and don't let your cattle be tempted either! it can and will kill you, rather unpleasantly; it's a neurotoxin and causes gastrointestinal hemmhoraging. it's apparently still toxic when processed into honey, so be careful with nearby honeybees.
apparently the mountain laurel is long-lived, and specimens over a hundred years old have been found! that's a hardy plant.
mountain laurel blooms from may to july. the flowers' stamens grow in a funky way so that they're bent and braced against the inside of the flower; when it's jostled by a pollinator, it catapults its pollen at it!! pollinators of all types like the plant, though, so... whatever works.