Alpine Laurel, Bog Laurel, Western Swamp Laurel, Small-leaved Alpine Laurel

Kalmia microphylla

Synonyms: Kalmia microphylla var. microphylla, Kalmia microphylla var. occidentalis, Kalmia occidentalis, Kalmia polifolia, Kalmia polifolia ssp. microphylla, Kalmia polifolia var. microphylla, Kalmia polifolia ssp. occidentalis, Kalmia polifolia ssp. polifolia, Kalmia polifolia var. polifolia

The photo at right shows the flower and leaves of alpine laurel as seen in Brownie Basin, along the Bowman Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness........July 26, 1997.

Alpine laurel is an attractive perennial shrublet with multiple ascending to erect and leafy stems from 5-15 cm high. The stems and leaves are glabrous throughout. The evergreen leaves are 1-1.5 cm long and narrowly to broadly oblong-elliptic with the margins strongly rolled downwards so the leaves appear narrower than they are.

The one to several flowers are at the tips of the stems and are held aloft on thin, erect pedicels from 1.5-2.5 cm long. The pedicels are reddish and glabrous. The sepals are ovate in shape and 2-3 mm long with sparsely ciliate margins. The bowl-shaped flowers are deep pinkish-rose and up to 12 mm wide. The 10 stamens as well as the style are about as long as the corolla.

Alpine laurel may be found in alpine bogs and moist meadows. Plants tend to like their "feet" wet.

Alpine laurel may be found from Alaska south through the Cascade Mts. to the Sierra Nevada Mts. of California and east to the Yukon and south through the Rocky Mts. through eastern British Columbia to Colorado.