Kalmia latifolia is a beautiful native to the east coast, spanning twenty-three states, from Louisiana to Ohio to Maine and southeastern Canada. Though used quite frequently for its background foliage, it was not until 1961 that serious attempts at breeding began at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Mountain laurel has been notoriously difficult to propagate. Difficult to propagate by means of cuttings, slow to propagate by layering, the development of tissue culture techniques tailored for laurels have provided the answer to laurel propagation. The extensive work of Richard Jaynes in searching out fresh and exciting laurel forms and getting them into the production pipeline has greatly expanded the number of cultivars that have entered the nursery trade. Flower forms have increased in size from almost totally unopened to blossoms of unique size. Color forms range from purest white, through all shades of pink, cherry reds, to banded purples. Dependably, they bloom in May in clusters of color, forming a rich evergreen screen that can grow quite tall. While slow growing, it is an excellent evergreen companion plant for native azaleas. If your climate is suitable for mountain laurel, invest in some. In warmer climates (below zone 7), search for southern source material.