Kalmia Species, Hairy Mountain Laurel, Sandhill Laurel, Sweet Wicky

Oh man, what a cool little shrub. It's basically an instant bonsai for people who suck at keeping bonsais, like myself. I had read about...Read More Kalmia latifolia, but it seemed they could not be grown in my zone (humid, rainy 9A). So when I saw this for $5 at Hilltop Arboretum in Baton Rouge, I pounced on it. Too bad there's not much info on it online or in books. Think of it as a U.S. version of Leptospermum scoparium (New Zealand Tea Tree). Mine has a beautiful, upward-stretching habit and requires no pruning at all. Grow it in sandy soil in full sun. (Note: May give one to the New Orleans Botanical Garden and/or to the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society. I think those bonsai geeks would flip out if they saw one of these in person.)