How to Grow Mountain Laurel Shrubs

When to Plant Mountain Laurels

Plant mountain laurels in late spring once the danger of frosts has passed. If planting in autumn, try to plant the shrub at least 4-6 weeks before the first frost to allow sufficient time for new roots to establish.

Where to Plant Mountain Laurels

Choose a spot with partial shade or dappled light and moist soil. Morning sun and afternoon shade are perfect. Mountain laurels will survive in full shade, but growth will be slow and blooming poor. They tolerate many soil types but don’t do well in heavy clay and prefer an acidic pH of 5-5.5.

How to Plant Mountain Laurels

Mountain laurels are often purchased in one to three-gallon containers, even online. They’re easy to plant and easy to care for.

• Remove all sod from an area twice as large as the hole you will dig.
• Make a bowl-shaped hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide, and loosen the sides and bottom of the hole. Compacted soil on the bottom makes it difficult for roots to penetrate and for water to drain.
• Remove the mountain laurel from its container and prune any circling or girdling roots. If the shrub is rootbound, score the root ball to stimulate new growth in outward directions.
• Test fit the mountain laurel in the hole, checking for depth and ensuring no roots are bent over or circling the hole. The top of the root ball should be at ground level. Enlarge the hole if necessary. 
• Begin backfilling the hole with native soil you removed, ensuring the shrub is vertical while filling–it’s easy to plant them crooked. Step back and check.
• When the hole is halfway refilled, tamp the soil firmly around the roots to remove air pockets, then give it a good drink of water (but don’t flood the hole). Keep filling the soil around the roots and firming it with your hands, watering again when complete.
• Spread mulch around the shrub, about 3-4 inches thick. Spread it evenly in a circle extending two feet from the base. Don’t allow the mulch to touch the trunk–keep a few inches of separation. The final mulch job should look like a saucer, not a pyramid.