Kalmia latifolia

Similar to Ligustrum japonicum Thunb.

Mountain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia, is a 7 to 15 foot native shrub with lustrous, evergreen leaves. The flowers are larger, cup-shaped and gathered into domed clusters at the end of stems. Ten stamens within each flower are bent back and held under tension until sprung loose by a visiting bee. The fruit is a dry capsule that splits open and remains on the shrub into winter. Mountain laurel is found primarily in more acidic soils of uplands in East Tennessee and the Highland Rim of Middle Tennessee.