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Ericaceae
Lamb Kill
Kalmia angustifolia
Caution and hidden danger.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Kalmia
- Native to
- Eastern North America
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- shrub
- Height
- 1-4 ft
- Sunlight
- partial shade to full sun
- Soil
- acidic, moist, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 2-7
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Its common name comes from its toxicity to sheep and lambs that graze on its foliage.
- All parts of the plant contain grayanotoxin, which can cause illness in livestock and humans.
- Native Americans used very small, carefully prepared doses of the plant as a medicinal remedy.
- It is also called sheep laurel because of its well-known danger to grazing sheep.
- Despite its toxicity, the flowers produce nectar that bees collect, though the resulting honey can be mildly toxic.
Color meanings
0
treachery
1
caution
2
perseverance