VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Kalmia latifolia | Mountain-Laurel 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Mountain-laurel wood is used to a limited extent for small craft
specialties.  The root burls of mountain-laurel are used occasionally
for making pipes, handles, and burned as fuel for woodstoves [28,35].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
The foliage of mountain-laurel is a winter forage for white-tailed deer
but it may be toxic if deer are forced to rely on it exclusively or
forage on it in large quantities [6,20].  Mountain-laurel is a primary
winter food for ruffed grouse [16,22].

Mountain-laurel is considered toxic to most livestock.  Kingsbury lists
the following percentages of lethal doses of mountain-laurel leaves to
animal body weight [20].

sheep   > 0.6%
cattle  > 0.4%
goats   > 0.4%

Mountain-laurel is a primary winter food for ruffed grouse [16,22].


PALATABILITY : 
Mountain-laurel is listed as slightly palatable to white-tailed deer.
Deer typically browse mountain-laurel only in small quantities when more
palatable forage is not available [28,32].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Mountain-laurel is extensively cultivated as an ornamental in the
eastern United States. Mountain-laurel can also be useful for watershed
protection and erosion control on steep slopes [28,34].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Mountain-laurel presents problems for timber management on millions of
acres in the southern Appalachians.  Dense woody thickets that develop
after timber harvest can reduce growth of tree seedlings to the point
that regeneration fails [25].  Except in areas where watershed, erosion
control, or aesthetic values are a consideration, control or eradication
of mountain-laurel is desirable [18].

Basal treatment of mountain-laurel with the herbicide Picloram killed 85
percent of live stems in the Appalachian highlands of North Carolina
[26].

Related categories for Species: Kalmia latifolia | Mountain-Laurel