One of the treasures Pilgrims found adorning the New England wilderness was Kalmia Latifolia the pink charm mountain laurel.
The Indians called it a “spoonwood plant,” To later colonists, it was “calico bush.” But early settlers were reminded of old-world laurel, and their name for it holds to this day.
Kalmia Latifolia “Mountain Laurel”
As Linnaeus pointed out many years later, mountain laurel is not a laurel at all.
It is Kalmia latifolia, belonging to the Ericaceae or heath family. On the other hand, the European laurel is a member of the Lauraceae or laurel family, a cosmopolitan group known in legend and industry.
Kalmia latifolia leaves were used to crown the brows of emperors, heroes, and poets and were a symbol of truce and victory.
Species of Lauraceae yield such products as:
- Benzoin
- Cinnamon
- Sassafras
Kalmia’s History Of Naming And Classification
The name mountain laurel had been accepted before Linnaeus had a chance to set the world right on its classification.
Specimens were sent to him by Peter Kelm, who was impressed by the beauty and abundance of the plant as he traveled about America on a mission for the Royal Swedish Academy. Linnaeus named the shrub Kalmia in honor of his friend and student.
Kalmia, the Latin version of Kalm, has irked some Americans who feel this beautiful plant should have been named for John Bertram, the great native botanist of the Revolutionary period.
Bertram had sent specimens to his friend Collinson in London 20 years before Kalm set eyes on mountain laurel.
Poisonous Qualities For Kalmia Plants
There has been some discussion about kalmia’s poisonous qualities. Certainly, the records indicate that Kalmia augustifolia contains poison.
In his Early Medical Botany, Dr. Johnson wrote of an infusion of poisonous mountain laurel leaves producing an excellent cure in some patients and almost fatal to others.
On this point, Bailey writes in his Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture:
“It is said that the leaves of the kalmias are poisonous, especially Kalmia angustifolia.”
The Indians used preparations of the leaves for medicine and as a way of committing suicide.
Kalmia angustifolia of the Eastern United States is poisonous to grazing animals. It is commonly known as “wicky,” “sheepkill,” and “lambkill.”
Whether or not there has been confusion between the large, exquisitely beautiful Kalmia latifolia and the shrubby, more or less inconspicuous Kalmia angustifolia, in this respect, caution seems to be indicated.