Our Kalmias are a wonderful, new option for cooler climate Australian Gardens.
Kalmias are members of the Ericaceae family & are closely related to Rhododendrons & Blueberries. Here we are talking about a range of cultivars of Kalmia latifolia.
They will generally handle hot periods better than Rhododendrons, but do prefer some shade against the hottest part of the day. Kalmias are very cold tolerant & will endure temperatures to minus 36℃.
Origins:
They come from the eastern side of the USA where they are known as Mountain Laurel, Calico Bush, Spoonwood or Wedding Cake Shrub.
Kalmias have been fairly hard to source in Australia in recent times, and only a very few older varieties have been available.
Dr. Karl-Heinz Huebbers in Germany has developed a new range of Kalmias with larger flowers, more flowers per truss, & improved vigour. Unfortunately, Australia’s Biosecurity requirements made it effectively impossible to import Dr. Huebbers’ excellent named cultivars into Australia.
We were fortunate to obtain seed of Dr. Huebbers’ best selections from him in 2022 and these are now beginning to flower. We are very grateful to Dr. Huebbers for his generosity and enthusiastic efforts to see these marvellous plants established & enjoyed in Australian gardens.
We plan is to select a number of the best cultivars. These will be named, registered & marketed within Australia over coming years. We are privileged to be the only growers of Dr. Huebbers’ Kalmias outside of Europe.
Kalmias come from rocky slopes & mountain forest areas in eastern states of the USA, often forming dense thickets.
Planting:
Use acid, not so heavy soils, between pH 4.5 & 5.5. In cool, moist situations they grow into a dense shrub. In drier situations they can become more straggly.
Kalmias like composted pine bark mixed into soil within the planting area. Kalmias planted into soil and then mulched, may only send roots into the mulch. This does not lead to a healthy plant.
(arranged by Latchmin Huebbers)
Being essentially under-story plants, Kalmias can grow in full sun, but will do better with shade from the heat of the day.
Young plants should be kept moist but not wet. Mature plants can withstand drought periods. A good soaking every week or two is better than very frequent watering.
Kalmias are evergreen plants. Like many garden plants, all parts of Kalmias are toxic. They usually form good specimens without intervention, but may be pruned as required. They also make excellent hedges.
Kalmias are generally very difficult to propagate, hence they tend to be more expensive. Most commercial propagation is currently achieved through tissue culture. Seed is extremely fine and will take at least 3 years to flower & will not come true to type.