Flower profile

Sheep laurel

Kalmia angustifolia

Native in the lower 48

Sheep laurel is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

14states

6of our state lists

15,821U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont

Quick look

Kalmia angustifolia is a flowering shrub in the family Ericaceae, commonly known by various names including sheep laurel, wicky, and dwarf laurel. Like many plant species of infertile habitats it has evergreen leaves and mycorrhizal associations with fungi.
From Wikipedia's article Kalmia angustifolia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ericaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 14 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont and Rhode Island. ^NatureServe
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,972 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #8 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,855 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #38 among the 110 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,596 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #15 among the 109 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist

Sheep laurel gift ideas

Handmade sheep laurel gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Sheep laurel art print
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Sheep laurel greeting card
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Sheep laurel mug
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Sheep laurel earrings
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Sheep laurel embroidery pattern
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Sheep laurel sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,920 records)

Bloom time in each of our 6 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Maine	Native	June–July	3,972
Massachusetts	Native	May–June	3,855
New Hampshire	Native	June–July	2,596
New Jersey	Native	May–June	1,380
Vermont	Native	June–July	865
Rhode Island	Native	June–September	378

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: flowers, fruits, leaves, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “May be fatal If eaten in large quantities. Salivation, watering of eyes and nose, slow pulse, nausea, vomiting, sweating, abdominal pain, headache, tingling of skin, lack of coordination, convulsions, and paralysis, diarrhea, weakness, cardiac failure.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Lambkill” (Kalmia augustifolia) lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records sheep laurel in 14 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan.