Kalmia latifolia 'BIG BOY'

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.

Big Boy is a unique variety of mountain laurel bred by Arthur A.Wright and introduced in 1991. Its predominant feature are its large, evergreen leaves – they are 10-12 cm long and up to 4 cm wide. This makes the plant look like a small cherry laurel. They are widely elliptic, deep green, and glossy. The flowers are nonetheless attractive as well. They are standard kalmia size (about 2 cm across each flower), very light pink, opening from pink-white buds in mid May, blooming for about 4 weeks. Big Boy grows slowly, making a compact shrub, approximately 1 m tall and wide in 10 years.

For a happy life mountain laurels MUST HAVE acid soil (add plenty of peat). 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 best colouring. Fertilize in spring and autumn with rhododendron fertilizers. Use water solutions or slow-release fertilizers that will not burn the delicate surface roots. Fully hardy to approx. -30°C (USDA zone 5), suitable for outdoor pots.

Last update 31-08-2012