Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery
Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery
Kalmia latifolia 'Elf'
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Elf is a mountain laurel scaled for a small space. Kalmia latifolia 'Elf' is a true dwarf, holding at 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide, roughly a third the size of the species, which makes it usable in a foundation bed or a small shade planting where a standard laurel would take over within a decade. Hardy from Zone 4 through Zone 8 in part shade, and slow enough that it takes a few seasons to fill out.
The buds are what set mountain laurel apart. Tight, crimped, geometric pink buds that hold for a week or more before opening into shallow white cups in late spring, carried in clusters across the whole plant. The buds are as good to look at as the open flowers.
The leaves are smaller and finer than the species, glossy and dark green, and they stay on through winter, so the plant carries a shade bed in the months when everything deciduous around it is bare. Bees come to the flowers in spring.
Mountain laurel wants acidic, moist, well-drained soil and will struggle in heavy clay or alkaline ground. The roots sit shallow, so it does better with mulch and steady moisture than in a dry spot. Deer leave it alone, which is one benefit of foliage that is toxic to browsing animals.
Height 2'- 3' Spread 2'- 4'
USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8
Lowest Temperatures -30°F to -20°F
Part shade - 4 to 6 hours of direct sun per day, mostly before midday
AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV
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