Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a large, gnarled evergreen shrub, sometimes growing to the size of a small tree. Described by the Sierra Club’s Naturalist’s Guide to Southern New England as “the most beautiful native shrub,” adorned with explosions of intricate white and pink flowers, mountain laurel it is certainly much showier when it is flowering in May and June. However, given its large flat, leathery, evergreen leaves, somewhat resembling those of rhododendrons, even without its flowers it makes a striking specimen in an otherwise brown and leafless forest. 

Mountain laurel is fairly common throughout central Massachusetts, but in Myles Standish State Forest where I observed this shrub and the rest of eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, it occurs much more sporadically. Although its leaves resemble those of rhododendrons, mountain laurel lacks the single large bud of rhododendrons, having a collection of smaller flower buds instead. These flower buds can already be seen this time of year, topping next year’s new shoots. The “tardily dehiscent capsules” (i.e. they do not split open to release their seeds right away) persist during the winter and are also visible now. These dried seed capsules terminate last year’s shoots. 

Sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia), a much more common species in our area, is closely related to mountain laurel. Like sheep laurel, mountain laurel’s leaves are poisonous to cattle, sheep, deer, and other animals, as well as humans. However, white-tailed deer, eastern cottontail, black bear, and ruffed grouse are known to utilize this species as winter forage during years of food shortages.