Kalmia latifolia 'JAN'S DELIGHT' mountain laurel
size/type
medium-sized shrub,medium-sized shrub
usual height
1-1,5m
usual width
0,8-1,3m
leaves
evergreen broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
May-June
location
full to partial sun
soil type
acidic (peaty)
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist but well-drained
USDA zone (lowest)
4 (down to -34°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Honestly, we are nuts about kalmias – mountain laurels. Not very well known, these mid-sized shrubs deserve more attention as they belong to the most beautiful flowering evergreen shrubs of our climate. They come from south-eastern USA and the Asian mountains where they grow under taller trees. There are many cultivars combining all sorts of red, pink and burgundy shades with white, all of them beautiful, all of them very hardy. The best display is when half of the bloom cluster is still in buds which mostly have a different colour than the flowers themselves.
Description of the plant:
Jan’s Delight is a German mountain laurel variety bred by a specialist kalmia breeder Dr. Karl-Heinz Hübbers in 2003 as a cross between varieties Peppermint and Ginkona. He named after his son and introduced it in 2013. From greyish white buds open about 2.5 cm wide flowers which combine a broad maroon band and maroon rays around the throat on the off-white background. Another attractive feature about this variety is the spectacular colour of newly emerging leaves which are glowing coppery red just like new photinia leaves. They are evergreen, narrowly elliptic, leathery, dark green, and glossy. The plant grows at medium growth rate to an upright, open shrub.For a happy life it MUST HAVE acidic soil (add plenty of peat). Do not dig a deep hole but a wide one. Plant it in light, well drained soil that has to be well mulched to keep the surface roots moist at all times. Full sun is best for profuse flowering. Fertilize in spring and early autumn with rhododendron fertilizers. Use water solutions or slow-release fertilizers that will not burn the delicate surface roots. Fully hardy to -34 °C (USDA zone 4) and suitable for outdoor pots all year round.
Last update 27-11-2021
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