Highstead’s Kalmia Collection is a one-acre concentrated display of more than 70 Kalmia species, forms, and cultivars set within a native stand of Kalmia latifolia that spreads across more than 55 acres of oak forest. This setting presents opportunities to view (1) how laurel species adjust and survive naturally within different habitats, (2) the immense range of cultivars with enhanced ornamental characteristics that have been produced by horticulturists and can be cultivated in the home landscape, and (3) a restored woodland with a naturalistic planting style.
June will find the laurel at peak bloom. In or out of season, an interpretive guide book, with color photographs of the cultivars in flower, can be used to study and further enjoy these native, broad-leaved evergreens. This collection is recognized by the North American Plant Collection Consortium (NAPCC) . Plants represented in the Kalmia Collection at Highstead can be viewed on-line.
A Self-guided Tour of Mountain Laurel and Companion Plants brochure can be viewed on-line (in Adobe PDF format).
