Snowdrift Mountain Laurel

Everyone agrees that the Snowdrift Mountain Laurel is without doubt the best of the white-flowered mountain laurel, and an outstanding shrub, with magnificent foliage and truly snow-white buds and flowers. These under-used shrubs deserve much more attention, and if you can grow a rhododendron you can grow a mountain laurel – why not start with this one? A dense, rounded evergreen shrub, the leaves are large, deep-green, and leathery, making a great plant when not in bloom. The button-like buds develop in fall and remain as small clusters through winter, gradually enlarging through early spring – while looking showy and attractive – to open in late May or early June into 1-inch snowy stars like nothing else you have seen. Growing steadily to around 3 feet within 10 years, and maturing around 6 feet tall and wide, this is a great addition to your garden, and the perfect companion to rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias.

• Snow-white buds and large flowers that open in late May
• Leathery, deep-green, large and glossy leaves
• A dense evergreen with excellent structure
• The perfect companion shrub for rhododendrons and azaleas
• Should be grown in acidic soil

Grow the Snowdrift Mountain Laurel in full sun in colder zones if the soil is always moist. Otherwise grow with morning sun and afternoon shade, or in light full shade, such as beneath deciduous trees or at the foot of a north-facing wall. Hardy through zone 4, and probably in a shelter spot in zone 4, with some winter protection. The soil should be moist, well-drained and rich in lime-free organic matter. Add plenty of peat moss, shredded pine bark, rotted pine needles or lime-free garden compost when planting, and use more as mulch. The soil should have a pH value of 6.0, and preferably lower, between 4.5 and 5.5. Not eaten by deer, the leaves are toxic to cattle and horses, but usually ignored by pets. Generally pest and disease free if grown in suitable conditions. Not drought tolerant – water as needed through the summer months.