help with the mtn laurel

[ZachMatthews]

My understanding is that you can tell mountain laurel from what we call rhododendron based on the laurel's squared off or polygonal blossoms.

Last year the mountain laurel was in full bloom right at the trailhead to Lynn Camp Prong Trail (all the way up the dirt road past Tremont) during Troutfest! So that would be a great time to plan a trip.

Interestingly, 'rhododendron' is actually a genus (class of plants) that includes a lot of the azalea plants we all have in our lawns (me included).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron

There are actually many types of rhododendron and I suspect that includes the various kinds and colors we see in the Park.

Here's some mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) in bloom during Troutfest last year:



Now here's some rhododendron (I believe) getting ready to bloom out:



I have some blooming shots but none of them are on the net, so I'll borrow this one:



See the wrinkled, round edges on the flowers? The foliage is a little bigger and a little more rubbery, too, but not enough for me to really notice except when it's in bloom. Both are beautiful and abundant in the Park.

Zach

[flyman]

Does anyone know what this is? It was blooming right beside some mountain laurel.

[GrouseMan77]

Originally Posted by flyman

Does anyone know what this is? It was blooming right beside some mountain laurel.

I looked through the books that I have and could not find an exact match. I may go do some field research tomorrow.

[tlshealy]

Here are some Rhododendrons along Ramsey Prong Blooming in July. I caught them with a size 16 parachute Adams.



Tad

[silvercreek]

Jason, it matches my Audubon book for Moutain Laurel. Silvercreek

[GrouseMan77]

Originally Posted by silvercreek

Jason, it matches my Audubon book for Moutain Laurel. Silvercreek

Thanks.

[flyman]

It looks like it may be a species of Mountain Laurel called "Minuet".

http://landscaping.about.com/od/gall...aurel.-CAD.htm

[Jim Casada]

Flyman--I'm not a trained naturalist, just someone with a keen interest in wildflowers and a lot of "field research" (i. e., time in the woods and waters), but I'm guessing this is just a variant mountain laurel plant which has an extraordinary amoung of magenta in it. I've never seen one quite so beautiful.
By the way, along the general lines of this thread, when old-timers speak of "laurel hells" they are referring to thickets of rhododendron. Also, as someone pointed out, there are many members of the rhododendron family and there are many colors of the plants generally called rhododendrons, although I've never seen colors other than white and various shades of pink and purple.
Jim Casada
www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com

[gmfishe]

Here is pretty member of the family http://www.grandfather.com/conservat.../punctatum.php

[BlueRaiderFan]

Originally Posted by flyman

Does anyone know what this is? It was blooming right beside some mountain laurel.

Peyote?