KalmiaMicrophylla01

Plants Pacific Northwest

Kalmia Microphylla - Western Bog-laurel

Note: These plants can be dangerous if improperly used. The author, and/or ernestartist.org assume no liability for experimentation of use.

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Kalmia Microphylla: Western Bog-laurel

The bog laurel is a small, slender branched evergreen that grows up to about half a meter tall. The leaves are opposite, narrow, up to 4 cm long that has the margins rolled under. The tops of the leaves are dark green and leathery, while the bottoms are whitish and fine-hairy. Flowers are quite unique, saucer shaped, about 2 cm across holding about 10 stamens. When a bee lands on the cup-shaped flowers of the bog laurel, a spring-loaded filament snaps up and smacks the bee with pollen.

The bog laurel likes to grow in bogs, wet mountain meadows as far south as California, and low-productivity forests to the north in Alaska. These beauties in the photos above were pictured in Camosun Bog at the edge of Pacific Spirit park, Vancouver.

The leaves are similar to those of Labrador tea; however, they contain a strong poison that can be fatal to grazing animals. (The leaves are somewhat similar looking to Labrador tea, so similar that the only way to really tell the difference is the flowers. In Labrador tea, the flowers are white, has protruding stamens, small, numerous, in short umbrella like clusters.)