Kalmia latifolia ‘Bridesmaid’
Overview
Uses: Woodland edges, shaded borders, informal screens, specimen plantings, native landscapes.
Benefits: Dark pink buds open to bicolor flowers with a deep pink rim and a nearly white center. A full-size laurel at 8–10 feet with dark green, leaf spot resistant foliage.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–8
Sun: Partial Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub
Growth Habit: Upright, Spreading — broad and full, with dark green leaves to the ground.
Bloom Color: Deep Pink, opening to Pink with a White Center
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Mature Height: 8–10 feet
Mature Width: 8–10 feet
Bloom Season: Late Spring to Early Summer
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
Two-tone flowers and full-size presence make ‘Bridesmaid’ a standout mountain laurel for the back of a shaded border.
Dark pink buds open in late spring to cup-shaped flowers with a deep pink rim and a pale, nearly white throat. As each flower ages, its petal edges curl back slightly, giving the clusters a delicate, layered look.
The leaves are dark green and resist the leaf spot that can mar other mountain laurels, so the plant looks clean through winter. Over time it grows into a broad, upright shrub about 8–10 feet tall and wide.
It flowers most heavily with a few hours of sun, while part shade keeps a good balance of bloom and leafy growth. Like all mountain laurels, it is slow to settle in and long-lived once established.
Care
Mountain Laurel ‘Bridesmaid’ Care
Plant in partial sun to partial shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade, or the high, dappled light at a woodland edge, gives the best balance of flowering and leaf color. More sun is fine in the North with steady moisture; deep shade cuts bloom.
Mountain laurel needs acidic, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. It struggles in heavy clay, standing water and alkaline soil, where the leaves turn yellow. Work in compost or pine bark at planting and set the root ball slightly high in heavier ground.
Water deeply through the first growing season, then during dry spells. The roots are shallow, so a 2–3 inch layer of bark mulch or pine needles keeps them cool and moist; keep mulch a few inches off the stems.
Feed lightly in early spring with a slow release fertilizer made for acid-loving plants. Skip lime and wood ash near the roots.
Pruning is rarely needed. If you want to shape the plant, do it right after flowering, because next year’s buds form over the summer. Snapping off spent flower clusters lets the plant put its energy into new growth and next year’s buds.
Size
What Size is the Mountain Laurel ‘Bridesmaid’ for Sale Online?
Our Mountain Laurel ‘Bridesmaid’ ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. In spring it may arrive with buds set. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Mountain Laurel ‘Bridesmaid’ Grow?
‘Bridesmaid’ matures at about 8–10 feet tall and 8–10 feet wide, forming a broad, upright evergreen. Give it room at the back of a border or along a woodland edge.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
Kalmia latifolia goes by several common names:
- Mountain Laurel
- Calico Bush
- Spoonwood
What makes the flowers of ‘Bridesmaid’ different?
Each flower is two-toned: a deep pink rim around a pale, nearly white center. The pink buds and two-tone open flowers show together in each cluster, so the plant reads as a mix of pink shades in bloom.
Is Mountain Laurel ‘Bridesmaid’ a native plant?
‘Bridesmaid’ is a cultivar of Kalmia latifolia, which is native to eastern North America from Maine to the Gulf Coast. That makes it a nativar: a selected form of a native species. Browse more in our Native Plants of North America collection.
Is Mountain Laurel ‘Bridesmaid’ deer resistant?
Mountain laurel is generally considered deer resistant, and deer tend to pass over its thick, leathery leaves. Browsing pressure varies by region, and hungry deer in a hard winter may sample almost anything. For more options, see our Deer-Resistant Shrubs and Evergreens collection.
Can Mountain Laurel ‘Bridesmaid’ be used as a screen?
Yes. At about 8–10 feet tall and wide with leaves held all winter, it makes a loose, flowering evergreen screen in partial shade. Space plants about 6–8 feet apart so they knit together as they mature. For more screening plants, browse our Evergreen Plants collection.
