Mountain laurel is the official state flower of Pennsylvania — a native shrub with clusters of cup-shaped pink-and-white blooms.

• Official flower: Mountain laurel
• Scientific name: Kalmia latifolia
• Year adopted: 1933
• Native range: the eastern U.S.

About the mountain laurel

Pennsylvania adopted mountain laurel in 1933. Its intricate flowers, marked with tiny spots and ranging from white to deep pink, open in dense clusters in early summer, brightening the state’s woodlands and mountainsides.

Where it grows

Mountain laurel is native to the eastern United States and grows throughout Pennsylvania’s forests, blooming in late spring and early summer.

Pennsylvania state flower FAQs

What is the state flower of Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania’s state flower is the mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), which it adopted in 1933.

When did Pennsylvania adopt its state flower?

Pennsylvania designated the mountain laurel as its official state flower in 1933.

When does mountain laurel bloom?

Mountain laurel blooms in late spring and early summer, covering Pennsylvania’s woodlands in clusters of pink-and-white cup-shaped flowers.

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