Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia)

A quick disclaimer: I want to stress that this plant is toxic and you must use extreme caution when working with it. Every part of the plant can be harmful, and information in this post about its usage is NOT a recommendation from me. Use at your own risk.

Mountain laurel, also known as calico-bush or spoonwood, is a flowering evergreen shrub native to the eastern United States. The city of Laurel, Mississippi is named after this plant. It is also the state flower of both Pennsylvania and Connecticut!

The flowers of mountain laurels are truly beautiful. Flowers can be purple, white, rose or pink. People often describe this plant as having a scent similar to grape Kool-Aid/soda.

Historically, laurel was occasionally used amongst Native American tribes. The Cherokee people used it as an analgesic, or pain-killer. Laurel was also sometimes used in rituals due to their hallucinogenic properties, but the dosage is hard to be certain of and the plant was ultimately abandoned in favor of other substances like peyote. 

The beans of this plant can be made into a necklace for ceremonial or decorative purposes. It could be useful for divination, entity work, and certain rituals. As stated at the start of this post, I strongly urge you to be very careful when using it.

If you are interested in growing this plant, you can take comfort in knowing it is relatively low maintenance. You may want to keep in mind that it is slow to grow, and it may take years for it to reach the height you want it to. Plant them from spring to early summer in moist, cool soil, ideally in a spot with partial shade, although they do tolerate full sun.