Pink Globe Mountain Laurel

Add soft patches of taffy-pink blooms to foundation plantings, beds, and borders with Pink Globe Mountain Laurel. This evergreen perennial features clusters of pentagonal pink florets among lustrous, yellowish-green leaves. Reaching 8-10 feet high, this native broadleaf shrub produces attractive reddish spring buds that morph into delicate pink blossoms in May. Also known as Kalmia latifolia 'Pink Globe', its bunches of airy blossoms support pollinators, including hummingbirds and butterflies, and brighten cut-flower arrangements. Native to forests in the eastern mountain ranges of the United States, mountain laurel is well known and pleasing to hikers. Planting Pink Globe Mountain Laurel in your yard lets you enjoy the same beauty without the long trek. This ornamental shrub has upright, dense, compact growth. Deer resistant and cold hardy in zones 5-8, its tough and adaptable. Plant it as a specimen or en masse in beds and borders to add color and interest year-round. Pink Globe Mountain Laurel Care Plant Pink Globe in full to partial sun. A position in morning sun followed by afternoon shade is ideal. The soil should be acidic, with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, continuously moist, and drain well. Water when the top couple of inches of soil are dry. Apply a 2-3 inch ring of organic mulch and provide an inch of water per week. In spring, apply a fertilizer for acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons and camellias. Espomas Holly-Tone 4-3-4 (N-P-K) is an excellent choice. To tidy the appearance, deadhead spent blossoms throughout the flowering season. Pink Globe Mountain Laurel blooms on old wood like azaleas and rhododendrons. Therefore, prune just after blooming to control its shape and size. Trim dead, diseased, and damaged branches as they appear. To overwinter this shrub, apply straw or arborist chips around the base in harsher climates. Pink Globe Mountain Laurel Spacing Space each plant 8-10 feet apart in beds, borders, and hedges. Add to meadow and cottage gardens with superb companion plants, including azaleas, rhododendron, wintergreen, and pieris. Cut flowering branches and add to posies, roses, and daisies to make stunning floral bouquets.