|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
Kalmia latifolia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Family: Ericaceae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mountain Laurel |
|
|
|
|
The genus Kalmia contains about 7
species native to North America. Mountain Laurel is the only species that
attains tree size, the other six are shrubs. The genus Kalmia was dedicated by
Linnaeus to his student Peter Kalm (1716-1779), Swedish botanist who traveled
and collected in Canada and eastern United States.
Kalmia
latifolia-American
Briar, American Laurel, Big Leaved Ivy, Burl Laurel, Calico Bush,
Calico-flower, Calico-tree, Ivy, Ivy Bush, Ivy Leaf Laurel, Ivywood, Kalmia,
Lambkill, Laurel, Laurelwood, Mountain, Mountain Ivy, Pale Laurel, Poison Ivy,
Poison Laurel, Root Laurel, Sheep Laurel, Small Laurel, Spoonwood, Wicky
Distribution
Southeast Maine
west to New York, Ohio and southern Indiana south to western Tennessee, eastern
Mississippi and southeast Louisiana east to northern Florida and Georgia.
The Tree
Mountain Laurel
is a large shrub, occasionally reaching tree size (reaching 40 feet tall &
2 feet in diameter) in the eastern US. The leaves, buds, flowers and fruits are
poisonous to humans and cattle, but not to indigenous wildlife such as deer. It
has leathery, evergreen leaves and very showy flower clusters, making it a
favorite plant for ornamental purposes. It prefers acid soils from lowlands to
4,000 feet elevations. It grows in association with oaks, tulip poplar, beech,
sugar maple, white pine and sourwood.
The Wood
General
The wood of
Mountain Laurel is heavy, hard, strong but rather brittle, with a close,
straight grain. It has a light yellow sapwood and a yellow brown heartwood,
spotted with red.
Mechanical
Propertiesa,b (2-inch standard)
|
|
|
|
|
Compression |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Specific gravity |
MOE x106 lbf/in2 |
MOR lbf/in2 |
Parallel lbf/in2 |
Perpendicular lbf/in2 |
WMLa in-lbf/in3 |
Hardness lbf |
Shear lbf/in2 |
|
Green |
0.62 |
0.92 |
8,400 |
4,310 |
1,110 |
12.5 |
1,300 |
1,670 |
|
Dry |
0.68 |
1.20 |
11,100 |
5,920 |
1,820 |
10.3 |
1,790 |
— |
|
aWML = Work to maximum load.
bReference (59). |
||||||||
Drying and
Shrinkagea,b
|
Type of shrinkage |
Percentage of
shrinkage |
||
|
0% MC |
6% MC |
20% MC |
|
|
Tangential |
8.0 |
— |
— |
|
Radial |
5.6 |
— |
— |
|
Volumetric |
14.4 |
— |
— |
|
aMountain
laurel will dry well if debarked and split. bReference
(59) |
|||
Working
Properties: Works well with carving tools or lathe.
Durability: No
information available at this time.
Preservation:
No information available at this time.
Uses:
Substitute wood for briar pipes, small objects & novelties, tool handles,
woodenware, fuel.
Toxicity: No
information available at this time.
Additional
Reading and References Cited (in parentheses)
29. Elias, T.S.
1980. The complete trees of North America, field guide and natural history.
?Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 948 pp.
55. Little,
Jr., E.L.1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). USDA
?Forest Service, Ag. Handbook No. 541, USGPO, Washington, DC.
59. Markwardt,
L.J. and T.R.C. Wilson. 1935. Strength and related properties of woods ?grown
in the United States. USDA Forest Service, Tech. Bull. No. 479. USGPO,
?Washington, DC.
68. Panshin,
A.J. and C. de Zeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Ed., ?McGraw-Hill
Book Co., New York, 722 pp.
74. Record,
S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the new world. Yale University Press, ?New
Haven, 640 pp.
90. Summitt, R.
and A. Sliker. 1980. CRC handbook of materials science. Volume 4, ?wood. ?CRC
Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL. 459 pp.