Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia) Hardy enough for Wisconsin?
bellabloom
15 years ago
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tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
15 years agokms4me
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Mountain Laurel Seeds, Germinating
Comments (12)I am so excited and happy. I think I have germinated what I believe to be a Tx. Mt. Laurel . Although I am not sure which variety it would be I am leaning toward the Hill Country variety based on the local that it came from.. The mature tree was about 8-10 ft. tall. Extremely dark blue clusters of flowers with an overwhelmingly heavy sweet smell. Red berry like seeds a little darker and harder than dogwood berries, which I have read are toxic. So does this sound like Tx. Mt. Laurel? Is the plant that I have?? Read these posts about three months ago followed the directions you all gave for lightly sanding the edge of my seed. Put it in lightly moist soil with with a good mix of Black Kow compost.Placed it in semi-shade until it started to harden off. Now I have a healthy new plant about 4 inches tall. Tghe new leaves look almost like young mistletoe leaves. Amazingly enough my seeds were gathered between 2005-2006 when I was visiting my son in Belton,Tx. near Salado. I have had them in a dish inside the China Cabinet as souviners since them, but decided to give them a try after reading the experiences here on the Gardenweb. I am now deciding where to put it before winter comes. After reading all the postings on temperature tolerances, I am thinking I need a pot that can be rolled in and outseasonally perhaps. I am in the Carolina Coastal Plain in Zone 8, but not too far from Zone 7. We routinely get temps in the thirties through the winter with it dipping on occassion into the twenties and teens for brief periods.Has anyone else had success wintering them over outside here? I haven't noticed anyone specifically mentioning the strong sweet smell of the blossoms.. We found them way too sweet for indoor cut flowers. I was worried about that as a house plant, but it appears as slow as it grows and matures, will be a while before I have to consider that problem. Any other pointers and tips before deciding to commit myself to outside or inside in this Zone???...See MoreNon-foo-foo Kalmia Latifolia ( Mt. Laurel )
Comments (12)Those in the wild up the mountains endure colder than my yards temps so I will assume they will be fine. We get 20's and 30's as usual winter temps with rare single digits, I have a place to keep them by the basement steps if it gets too cold for a few days I can bring the pot in. I have thought about the idea about getting a plant from the wild but have heard that I can get fined because it's our state flower, I don't know how true that is.I have gotten trees that way with good results when they are dormant.So more than likely the seed leaves are the 2 tiny ones I see. How long until they getat least quarter sized? I'm prepared for slow growth but can you guess at inches per year? I also would like to know if you dug up some soil from where the natural colonies are, I've heard they need that, or is compost good enough? Homemade not commercial compost. I will have to eventually get the book about them, the authors name should be easy to remember, Dick and Jane will stick in my memory....See MoreKalmia Latifolia
Comments (6)If you're really going to try it, I'd recommend sowing the seed on top of live moss - this works for all ericaceous plants. I've generally used haircap moss, but any species should be fine. Avoid peat pots - they wick away moisture from all the exposed surfaces and are very hard to keep evenly moist. Instead, use small plastic flats, surface sow and place in a ziplock plastic bag. Place under flourescent lights if you can, otherwise put in a bright spot, but avoid direct sun - high temperatures are fatal. Root disturbance shouldn't be a big concern. Kalmia have dense fibrous roots just like rhododendrons so are easy to transplant. You do need to sow lightly and thin out the seedlings when small. The seeedlings will need to stay in the flats for probably 2 years. It's important to gradually remove the plastic bag, but you need to maintain a very humid atmosphere around the seedlings. Good luck!...See MoreMountain Laurel?
Comments (21)The Don's Dwarf wax myrtle is very nice and doesn't look like a wax myrtle even. Mayland said she just got one at Ace Hardware. Other evergreen natives include Vaccinium darrowii (some cultivars available like Vaccinium darrowii 'Rosa's Blush', beautiful new growth color) and dwarf forms of Yaupon Holly. I find that the yaupon holly looks best when left unpruned (most people prune it); it has a lovely tidy yet informal shape then. It will most likely have been pruned some when you buy it, just let it grow out that haircut. Good examples on the Southern Polytech campus in Marietta around the Atrium building. An even more remote choice is Pieris phillyreifolia; actually not so remote - I got mine at Georgia Perimeter College's nursery, a great place for natives. I had 5 at one time, but had to move them to a new house and only two have survived, but these two are THRIVING. And yes, Florida anise would be too big for that spot. There are also the Inkberry hollies which no one ever thinks is a Holly (Ilex glabra). I assume you have checked into those. Ilex cassine makes some nice hybrids with Ilex opaca and they don't look like hollies much either. Nearly Native Nursery has some of those....See MoreKat SE Wisconsin z5
15 years agokms4me
15 years agoKat SE Wisconsin z5
15 years agobellabloom
15 years agoHU-431148803
2 years agoBarbara Kondrick
6 months ago
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