Pennsylvania’s state flower is the evergreen mountain laurel, scientifically known as Kalmia latifolia, which produces pink and white flowers each year. It can grow up to 40 feet tall, likes rocky upland areas, and is native to the eastern United States. The flowering season is in May and June, and it can grow under taller trees. Bumblebees are its primary pollinators, and it is not considered endangered.
Pennsylvania’s state flower is the mountain laurel. Scientifically known as Kalmia latifolia, the plant is evergreen. Mountain laurel is a shrub native to the area that produces pink and white flowers each year.
In 1933, then Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot chose mountain laurel as the state flower. The shrub grows in the eastern United States and is found from Florida to northern Maine. There are many alternative names for the plant, such as ivybush and calico bush. Native Americans used the wood to make eating tools, hence the shrub is also known as spoon.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), mountain laurel can grow up to 40 feet (about 12.2 meters) tall. Usually, though, the shrub is 4 to 10 feet (1.2 to 3 meters) tall. Mountain laurel keeps its leaves all year round. The leaves are up to 4 inches (10.2 centimeters) long and up to 2 inches (5.1 centimeters) wide. They are dark green and feel leathery.
Fittingly for Pennsylvania’s state flower, mountain laurel is native to the state along with its close relatives, sheep’s laurel and swamp laurel. It likes to grow on slopes with other woody plants and especially loves rocky upland areas. Because of its colorful flowers, it can also be part of a planted shrub.
Good drainage and moist soil are ideal for planting the shrub. According to Pennsylvania’s DNCR, mountain laurel will grow in both shade and sun, but sunny areas produce better flowers. A gardener can choose from 75 different subtypes of the species for his shrub.
The flowering season for the Pennsylvania state flower is in May and the flowers last until June. The flowers are fragrant, with star-shaped petals, which can be white or pink. Bumblebees are the shrub’s primary pollinators, flying from flower to flower and carrying pollen at the same time. If bumblebees are scarce, mountain laurel can also self-pollinate. The wind then blows the seeds away from the mother plant to a new spot, typically less than 50 feet (15.2 meters) away.
Mountain laurel can grow under taller trees such as hardwoods or spruces. Commonly, it can be found growing alongside plants such as rhododendrons, blueberries, and blueberries, all of which are in the same family as the mountain laurel. The DNCR does not consider this Pennsylvania state flower to be protected or endangered.
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