Kalmia Microphylla, Alpine Laurel

Day 267: Kalmia microphylla is a delightful little native plant, and as its common name "Alpine Laurel" implies, it generally prefers to grow at higher elevations although can sometimes be found at lower altitudes. Like its larger, shrubby garden cousin, its saucer-shaped flowers display five points, the edges of which roll slightly toward the center. Some references separate our local Kalmias into two species, microphylla and polifolia, but other sources (the WTU database and our own Park herbarium) support lumping them as a single species with variations in the growth habit. For once, taxonomists are a house divided, so until further genetic research settles the issue one way or another, your correspondent won't make a distinction.