Question: I found this low, lovely plant under a power towers easment in Lexington, MA, blooming in early October. Nearby are …
-
Question
I found this low, lovely plant under a power towers easment in Lexington, MA, blooming in early October. Nearby are goldenrod, sweet fern, and little bluestem among others. The flower looks like Kalmia, but the time of year seems wrong.
Answer
Dear bkatzenberg, you have photographed Kalmia angustifolia (sheep American-laurel). It is an unusual time of year, but there are many species of plants (including in the heath family) that I observe flowering again in the autumn season in certain years. Extreme weather (such as droughts or heat) can sometimes bring on fall flowering in species that would normally bloom much earlier in the year (but those flower buds are now spent, so they won't produce flowers next year from those buds). Best wishes.
