Illustration
Carousel Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia 'Carousel'
Also called carousel calico bush
Carousel Mountain Laurel blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Carousel Mountain Laurel
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–8. Expect it to reach about 5 ft tall and 5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 5 years (a house reading).
Is Carousel Mountain Laurel toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs and cats by NC State Extension and Royal Horticultural Society.
- Listed as poisonous to people by NC State Extension and Royal Horticultural Society.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant, with what the sources could not settle written down; years to mature size rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one, and is marked so; its common name and alternate names have not been checked yet. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Carousel Mountain Laurel
Plant Carousel Mountain Laurel in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Carousel Mountain Laurel get?
5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult5 ftwideSee Carousel Mountain Laurel in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Carousel Mountain Laurel
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Carousel Mountain Laurel about 5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Carousel Mountain Laurel to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Carousel Mountain Laurel's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 17 published sources on October 14, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Plant Addictsheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil and pests
- NC State ExtensionGardener Plant Toolboxsun, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity
- pridescorner.comPrides Corner Farmsheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, bloom months and color, trait tags and diseases
- havlis.proHavlis / SAFRO, Czech Republicheight, spread, hardiness zones, water, bloom months and color and soil
- plantdatabase.uconn.eduUniversity of Connecticut Plant Databasewater, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- nvknurseries.comNVK Nurseries, Ontarioheight, spread, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- rhododendrons.co.ukMillais Nurseries, United Kingdomheight, spread and bloom months and color
- brokenarrownursery.comBroken Arrow Nursery (Richard Jaynes' nursery)hardiness zones and bloom months and color
- greathillhf.orgGreat Hill Horticultural Education Foundation, Hampton Falls, New Hamp...bloom months and color and soil
- portal.ct.govConnecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, CNLA Discovery and Educat...height and bloom months and color
- woodyplants.cals.cornell.eduCornell University Woody Plants Database (Carousel entry)bloom months and color and diseases
- d29wjyh4gwfh00.cloudfront.netBroken Arrow Nursery, Broadleaf Evergreens 2025 catalogheight and spread
- highstead.netHighstead, The Kalmia Collection, 2024 collection sheetbloom months and color
- hortflora.rbg.vic.gov.auRoyal Botanic Gardens Victoria, HortFlorabloom months and color
- woodyplants.cals.cornell.eduCornell University Woody Plants Database (species)soil and toxicity
- mcilab.cals.ncsu.eduNorth Carolina State University MHREC, SNA Research Conference Vol. 42...height
- umass.eduUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst Extension, Garden Clippings 2017 V...height
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.