Kalmia is a genus of about ten species of evergreen shrubs from 20cm to 5m tall, in the family Ericaceae. They are native to North America and Cuba. They grow in acidic soils, with different species in wet acid bog habitats and dry, sandy soils. Kalmia was named by Linnaeus to honour his friend the botanist Pehr Kalm, who collected it in eastern North America during the mid-18th century. Kalmias are popular garden shrubs, grown for their decorative flowers.

Kalmia latifolia, commonly known as Mountain Laurel, Calico-bush, or Spoonwood, is native to North America ranging from southern Maine south to northern Florida, and west to Indiana and Louisiana. It is a medium-sized, evergreen shrub which blooms mainly in summer to autumn with bell-shaped clusters of mainly pink flowers around the stems but can also be red, white or purple to brown. Kalmia is extremely hardy and can survive temperatures as low as negative 30°C. In autumn, it is particularly pleasing to the eye. It also requires little maintenance and has good disease resistance. The wood of the mountain laurel is heavy and strong but brittle, with a close, straight grain. It is suitable for wreaths, furniture, handrails or guard rails, bowls and other household items. It is said that the Cherokee use the plant medicinally as an analgesic, placing an infusion of leaves on scratches made over location of the pain. They also rub the bristly edges of ten to twelve leaves over the skin for rheumatism, crush the leaves to rub brier scratches, use an infusion as a wash “to get rid of pests”, use a compound as a liniment, rub leaf sap into the scratched skin of ball players to prevent cramps, and use a leaf salve for healing. They also use the wood for carving.