Mountain-laurel is sometimes called spoonwood because Native Americans used the wood for
making spoons, but its Latin name has a different origin. In the late 1740’s Pehr Kalm was
sent by the Royal Swedish Academy to explore North America, on his trip he recorded a new plant.
In 1753 Carl von Linnaeus named this new plant Kalmia latifolia.

Mountain-laurel is native to eastern North America, USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9. This evergreen
prefers full sun to partial shade, and is resistant to deer. You can see this mountain-laurel in
the Fern Valley Native Plant Collection.