Kalmia microphylla
Alpine Laurel · Bog Laurel · Western Bog Laurel
About the plant
What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.
The plant
- Habit
- subshrubPlants of the World Online
- Habit
- Perennial, Shrub, SubshrubPLANTS Database
- Height
- 1.0 ft30 cmPLANTS Database
- Flower
- PurplePLANTS Database
- Blooms
- Late SpringPLANTS Database
- Native range
- Alaska, Canada, lower 48 statesPLANTS Database
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Shade tolerance: LowPLANTS Database
- Soil
- Adapted to coarse, medium textured soilsPLANTS Database
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.3PLANTS Database
- Moisture
- Moisture use: MediumPLANTS Database
- Watering
- Drought tolerance: LowPLANTS Database
Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.
Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.
Worth knowing
- Kalmia is named after Pehr Kalm, a Swedish-Finnish botanist and student of Linnaeus, and microphylla means "small leaves" in Greek. Like other kalmias, bog laurel is very poisonous, containing grayanotoxin. Wikipedia: Kalmia microphylla
Protocol
DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993Difficulty Low
Separate the seed from its case
Crush the hard capsule so light can reach the seed.
Sow on the surface — do not cover
Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light
No stated waiting before sowing.
Jaynes found it needs light. That is all this passage says about this species.
How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.
Germination trials
Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials
No trials shared for this species yet.