Mountain Laurel
Intricate, cup-shaped flowers in pink and white cluster over mountain laurel each spring, each blossom looking almost handcrafted. Glossy, leathery evergreen leaves give it year-round structure in woodland gardens, foundation plantings, and informal screens. Like rhododendrons and azaleas, it prefers dappled shade and moist, acidic, well-drained soil. Seedlings grow slowly at first but develop into long-lived shrubs. Press the minute seed onto a moist, acidic mix without covering it, since light is part of what triggers germination.