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Imagine hiking through the mountains of Pennsylvania in late spring. The trees are fully leafed out, the trails are shaded, and then suddenly you come across something unexpected. Clusters of pale pink flowers bloom beneath the forest canopy, covering entire hillsides. At first glance, they almost look too perfect to be growing wild. But they are. The mountain laurel has been growing in Pennsylvania's forests long before the state existed, and today it's one of the most recognizable signs that spring has arrived in the Appalachian Mountains.
This short video shares how the mountain laurel became the state flower of Pennsylvania and why it remains one of the state's most beloved native plants.
Mountain Laurel
Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia
The mountain laurel grows throughout Pennsylvania's forests, especially in the Appalachian Mountains and wooded hillsides.
A few things that make it special:
Native to the eastern United States
Blooms in late spring and early summer
Found in mountain forests and wooded slopes
Known for its intricate pink and white blossoms
Each flower looks almost like a tiny bowl or umbrella, with delicate markings that make it one of the most distinctive wildflowers in the eastern United States.
When entire thickets bloom at once, the effect can be breathtaking.
Why It Became the State Flower
By the early 1930s, Pennsylvania wanted an official state flower.
Several native flowers were considered, including the pink azalea and mountain laurel.
The decision ultimately came down to the General Assembly of Pennsylvania sending two bills to the governor. They asked him to sign the bill of the flower he chose. Well, it's said that his wife was the one who chose the Mountain Laurel.
The Mountain Laurel stood out because it was native to Pennsylvania, widely distributed across the state, known for its beauty, and important culturally.
So, in 1933, Governor Gifford Pinchot signed the legislation making the mountain laurel Pennsylvania's official state flower.
It was a choice that celebrated not just a flower, but the forests and mountains that help define Pennsylvania itself.
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