Kalmia latifolia and cvs. (Mountain laurel, Calico bush)

This upright, sparsely branched, woody shrub reaches 4 to 10 feet tall. It's easy to grow but slow-growing. It displays dark green leaves that are blue-green beneath, and large, silken blossoms 6 to 12 inches across in late spring and early summer. The plants maintain a graceful branching structure throughout the winter.

This cultivar produces 8-inch-long, conical flower heads from early summer on. It is as notable for its distinct, deeply lobed leaves as for its reliably showy, creamy blooms. The foliage produces outstanding fall color and the flowers take on purplish-pink hues when dried.

Deciduous, suckering shrub bearing a profusion of bell-shaped flowers, pale to deep pink with a yellow throat, in late spring and early summer. Dark-green foliage adds appeal when not in bloom.

(1 user review)

More drought tolerant than their classic cousins, oakleaf hydrangeas hail from the sandy stream banks of the lower southeastern United States. The coarsely textured and deeply lobed leaves are matte green, turning striking shades of red and purple in fall. In spring, they deliver nickel-size white bracts lined up in dense coneheads. As the summer wanes, the flower heads age gracefully into shades of pink, green, and ecru.