Kalmia latifolia
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ff3987f6ab829352336 |
| Scientific name | Kalmia latifolia |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 391 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Based on comprehensive botanical and ethnobotanical literature, there is no verifiable documentation of traditional medicinal or culinary uses for *Kalmia latifolia* (Mountain Laurel) involving infusions, decoctions, tinctures, macerations, or poultices. All reliable sources consulted – including peer-reviewed toxicological studies (Burke Museum of Natural History, University of Washington), ethnobotanical surveys (e.g., Moerman's Native American Ethnobotany Database), and standard pharmacopeial references (King's American Dispensatory) – consistently describe *Kalmia latifolia* as highly poisonous, with historic and contemporary accounts focused solely on its toxicity to humans and livestock. No specific Indigenous or folk preparations are recorded for any part of the plant.
Therefore, following your requirements, no ethnobotanical description can be produced.
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General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Timber for small turned objects and tool handles; specialty craftwood for inlay, burrs, and decorative accents; occasional musical-instrument components and small cabinetry items.
Industrial and craft applications:
Carved and turned wares; tool handles and sporting goods where durability and fine finishing are desired; ornamental inlays and veneer. The wood’s fine, interlocked grain and resistance to splitting support use in small precision components.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Beekeeping product (honey) derived from flower nectar; the species is recognized as a honey plant in regional beekeeping literature, with no medicinal or health claims.
Colorants and tanning:
No documented commercial use. Leaves and bark contain grayanotoxins; no reliable records of tannins employed for leather or dyes.
Wood and fiber:
Wood is compact, fine- to medium-textured, and commonly shows interlocked grain; density and strength make it suitable for turned and carved items, handles, and specialty components. No documented bast or leaf fiber utilization.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented use in fragrances or cosmetics. Beekeeping reference is for food (honey) only.
Properties relevant to use:
Working properties: fine texture, interlocked grain, good dimensional stability after drying, excellent turning and finishing response. Mechanical characteristics: high strength relative to size, good shock resistance, and low split susceptibility—attributes enabling use for handles, tool parts, and craft components.
Standards and regulation:
Timber marketed as small specialty lumber; no species-specific grading standards. No regulated use noted beyond general forestry and plant trade regulations.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Typically harvested from mixed forest thinnings rather than plantation stands; availability is seasonal and regionally limited. Typical utilization focuses on high-value, small-scale applications to optimize use of small-diameter stems.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Kalmia myrtifolia | André | Rev. Hort. (Paris) 55: 10 (1883) |
| Kalmia nitida | J.Forbes | Hort. Woburn. : 93 (1833) |
| Chamaedaphne latifolia | (L.) Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 388 (1891) |
| Kalmia latifolia f. obtusata | (Rehder) Rehder | Rhodora 12: 2. 1910 |
| Kalmia latifolia f. alba | (Mouill.) Rehder | Rhodora 12: 2. 1910 |
| Kalmia latifolia f. polypetala | (G.Nicholson) Rehder | Rhodora 12: 1. 1910 |
| Kalmia latifolia f. fuscata | (Rehder) Rehder | Rhodora 12: 2. 1910 |
| Kalmia latifolia var. polypetala | G.Nicholson | Hand-List Trees Shrubs 2: 49 (1896) |
| Kalmia latifolia var. obtusata | Rehder | Möller's Deutsche Gärtn.-Zeitung 18: 577 (1903) |
| Kalmia latifolia var. fuscata | Rehder | Möller's Deutsche Gärtn.-Zeitung 18: 578 (1903) |
| Kalmia latifolia var. alba | Mouill. | |
| Kalmia serotina | Hoffmanns. | Verz. Pfl.-Kult. : 70 (1824) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | calico bush |
| English | clamoun |
| English | calico-bush |
| English | american laurel |
| English | spoonwood |
| English | ivybush |
| English | sheep laurel |
| English | mountain-laurel |
| English | mountain laurel |
| English | lambkill |
| Arabic | كلمية عريضة الأوراق |
| Arabic | غار الجبل |
| Arabic | كالمية عريضة الأوراق |
| Bulgarian | американски лавър |
| Bulgarian | планински лавър |
| Catalan | laurier des montagnes |
| Welsh | calmia llydanddail |
| Danish | bredbladet kalmia |
| German | laurier des montagnes |
| Persian | کالمیا لاتیفولیا |
| Finnish | leveälehtikalmia |
| French | kalmie |
| French | laurier des montagnes |
| French | laurier d'amérique |
| Hebrew | קלמיה לאטיפוליה |
| Croatian | gorski lovor |
| Lithuanian | laurier des montagnes |
| Dutch | lepelboom |
| Russian | Кальмия широколистная |
| Slovenian | širokolistna kalmija |
| Swedish | laurier des montagnes |
| Swedish | bredbladig kalmia |
| Chinese | 山月桂 |
| Chinese | 宽叶山月桂 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
-
Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
-
Northeastern U.S.A.
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000356132 |
| UNII | P1SWF7DK1Y |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 3648 |
| Flora of Alabama | 1740 |
| Cornell Woody Plants | 129 |
| Canadensys | 5530 |
| USDA Plants | KALA |
| UConn | 236 |
| Tropicos | 12300612 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:279164-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-2333573 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 279967 |
| PFAF | Kalmia latifolia |
| Open Tree Of Life | 743767 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 45902 |
| NBN Atlas | NHMSYS0100001861 |
| Nature Serve | 2.159823 |
| IUCN Red List | 62002834 |
| IPNI | 279164-2 |
| iNaturalist | 49397 |
| GBIF | 2883005 |
| Freebase | /m/04bxc |
| FEIS | plants/shrub/kallat |
| EPPO | KAMLA |
| EOL | 595778 |
| Elurikkus | 5323 |
| USDA GRIN | 21115 |
| Wikipedia | Kalmia_latifolia |
| CMAUP | NPO19198 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / Grayanoids | |||||
| [(3R,4R,6R,8S,9R,10R,11R,15R)-2,4,10,15-tetrahydroxy-5,5,10,15-tetramethyl-7-oxapentacyclo[12.2.1.01,11.04,9.06,8]heptadecan-3-yl] acetate | 6325559 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1C(C23CC(CCC2C(C4C1(C(C5C4O5)(C)C)O)(C)O)C(C3)(C)O)O | 410.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| Kalmitoxin IV | 44584062 | Click to see | 426.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| kalmitoxin V | 44584060 | Click to see | 468.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| Lyoniol-A | 161699 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1C(C2(C(C3C(C2(C)C)O3)C(C4C15CC(CC4)C(C5)(C)O)(C)O)O)O | 410.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / Grayanoids / Leucothol and grayanotoxane diterpenoids | |||||
| (1R,3S,4S,6R,8R,9S,10S,13S,14R,16S)-5,5,9,14-tetramethyltetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,8]hexadecane-3,4,6,9,14,16-hexol | 73051 | Click to see CC1(C(CC2C1(C(CC34CC(C(C3O)CCC4C2(C)O)(C)O)O)O)O)C | 370.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| (1S,4R,8S,9R,10S,13S,14R,16R)-5,5,9,14-tetramethyltetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,8]hexadecane-3,4,6,9,14,16-hexol | 138113481 | Click to see | 370.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| CID 442034 | 442034 | Click to see | 412.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50005A008 |
| Grayanotoxin I | 9548612 | Click to see | 412.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50005A008 |
| Kalmitoxin I | 44559353 | Click to see | 386.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| Kalmitoxin III | 44559352 | Click to see | 428.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| Kalmitoxin VI | 44559347 | Click to see | 486.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Alcohols and polyols / Tertiary alcohols | |||||
| (1R,2S,3S,4R,6S,8S,10S,13R,14R,16R)-5,5,14-trimethyl-9-methylidenetetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,8]hexadecane-2,3,4,6,14,16-hexol | 139597063 | Click to see | 368.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| (1S,3R,4R,6S,8S,10S,13R,14R)-5,5,14-trimethyl-9-methylidenetetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,8]hexadecane-3,4,6,14,16-pentol | 107976 | Click to see CC1(C(CC2C1(C(CC34CC(C(C3O)CCC4C2=C)(C)O)O)O)O)C | 352.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| CID 137092549 | 137092549 | Click to see | 336.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| grayanotoxin II | 14060930 | Click to see | 352.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50011A016 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Phenylketones / Alkyl-phenylketones | |||||
| 2',6'-Dihydroxy-4'-methoxyacetophenone | 24135 | Click to see | 182.17 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50005A008 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Indoles | |||||
| Capparin B | 24813533 | Click to see | 221.28 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Indolines | |||||
| 6-Methoxyisatin | 10374972 | Click to see COC1=CC2=C(C=C1)C(=O)C(=O)N2 | 177.16 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Capparin A | 101457836 | Click to see | 280.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Catechins | |||||
| Catechin | 9064 | Click to see | 290.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50012A008 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Flavanones | |||||
| Eriodictyol | 440735 | Click to see C1C(OC2=CC(=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O | 288.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50012A008 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones | |||||
| Apigenin | 5280443 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O | 270.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Luteolin | 5280445 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)O | 286.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Kaempferol | 5280863 | Click to see | 286.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Quercetin | 5280343 | Click to see | 302.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50012A008 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides | |||||
| 1-[2-Hydroxy-4-methoxy-6-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyphenyl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-1-one | 12308643 | Click to see | 450.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50005A008 |
| 3-Hydroxyphloretin 2'-O-glucoside | 102068587 | Click to see | 452.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50012A008 |
| 5-hydroxy-2-[3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoyl]-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyphenolate | 46926173 | Click to see | 435.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| CID 11190157 | 11190157 | Click to see COC1=CC(=C(C(=C1)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)O)C(=O)CCC3=CC=C(C=C3)O)O | 450.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Phlorizin | 6072 | Click to see | 436.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50005A008 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50012A008 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(2S,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one | 44259215 | Click to see | 434.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50012A008 |
| Guaijaverin | 5481224 | Click to see | 434.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50012A008 |
| Hyperoside | 5281643 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50012A008 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 6-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Oroxylin A | 5320315 | Click to see | 284.26 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 7-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| 6,8-Di-C-methylkaempferol 3,7-dimethyl ether | 14353450 | Click to see | 342.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1984-7-804 |
| 8-Demethyllatifolin | 14353449 | Click to see | 328.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1984-7-804 |
| 8-Desmethylkalmiatin | 44259656 | Click to see | 342.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1984-7-804 |
| Kalmiatin | 44259657 | Click to see CC1=C(C2=C(C(=C1OC)C)OC(=C(C2=O)OC)C3=CC=C(C=C3)OC)O | 356.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1984-7-804 |
| Sideroxylin | 3083788 | Click to see | 312.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1981-11-1201 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 8-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Wogonin | 5281703 | Click to see | 284.26 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Linear 1,3-diarylpropanoids / Chalcones and dihydrochalcones / 2-Hydroxy-dihydrochalcones | |||||
| 3-Hydroxyphloretin | 11778945 | Click to see | 290.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50012A008 |
| Phloretin | 4788 | Click to see | 274.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50005A008 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |