MAY 31 EDITION OF "ASK THE ARBORIST"

Its almost hard to believe that spring is here in Newtown, CT and June has arrived.  On this our last edition of "ASK THE ARBORIST" for the month of May lets look back and reflect on how much things have changed over the last four weeks.  It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were still looking at a life-less leaf-less forest of trees.  Today our yards and local forest have been transformed into a completely different paradigm of foliage for all to enjoy.  Today we are going to take an up-close and personal look at the state flower of Connecticut the Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)  According to information from "Wikipedia" Mountain Laurel sometimes referred to by other common names such as Calico-bush or Spoon-wood.  Mountain Laurel is a member of the Heath family.  The Heath or heather family contains roughly 4000 species making it the 14th-most speciose family of flowering plants.  Some of Mountain Laurels more familiar cousins are Cranberry, Blueberry, Huckleberry, Azalea and Rhododendrons.  Not only is Mountain Laurel the state flower of Connecticut, but also the state of Pennsylvania.  The scientific name of Mountain Laurel is attributed to the late Swedish botanist Peter Kalm, who explored the U. S. in 1753.  Mountain Laurels are very similar to their cousin Rhododendrons, but have much smaller leaves.  To really appreciate the pristine beauty of Mountain Laurel you will need to get out the old hiking boots and take a jaunt into the mountain areas.  One of my silvicultrue (forestry) professors reminded us students to beware of Mountain Laurel, because they are often located very close to cliffs and steep drop-offs.  My experience has been my professor was right!  Mountain Laurel like Rhododendron is an acid loving shrub and is quite content with very acidic soil conditions of 5.0 - 5.5.  Mountain Laurel generally reaches a height of 7 - 10 feet, but can reach 15 feet or greater in the mountain areas.  The southern portion of the famous Appalachian trail is covered with spectacular canyons made of Mountain Laurel well over 15 feet in height.  Mountain Laurel has peak bloom right about not, so look for them during your next visit to the local forest.  As always for any of your tree or shrub care needs contact Forester Jeff for your FREE LOOK-UP FROM THE TRUNK UP!  jeff@yackoandsons.com   203-733-9219