Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
22CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including SC
Genus host records with ranges including SC · Kalmia
- Acleris maculidorsanaStained-Back Leafroller Moth
- Archips georgianaFireworm, Georgia Leafroller
- Argyrotaenia marianaGray-Banded Leafroller Moth
- Callophrys augustinusThe Brown Elfin
- Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
- Cladara limitariaMottled Gray Carpet, Yellow-Lined Conifer Looper, Yellow-Lined Forest Looper, Black-Angled Wave
- Darapsa choerilusAzalea Sphinx
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Morrisonia evictaBicolored Woodgrain
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Show all 22
- Papilio palamedesPalamedes Swallowtail
- Phlogophora periculosaBrown Angle Shades
- Prionapteryx nebuliferaClouded Veneer Moth
- Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
- Probole nepiasariaHeath Probole
- Pseudexentera cressonianaShagbark Hickory Leafroller
- Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
- Synanthedon rhododendriRhododendron Borer
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Acrobasis amplexella
- Cenopis karacana
- Paralobesia rhoifructana
6BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Kalmia
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
3Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Kalmia
- Andrena bradleyi
- Andrena kalmiae
- Colletes productus
3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Kalmia
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
- Lagopus leucuraWhite-tailed Ptarmigan
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 6a–8b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to neutral
- Flower color
- Pink or white
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Flower color · “Pink or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Hardiness · “Zones 6a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “1.5–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Leaves · “Evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “4–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Leiophyllum buxifolium; Sand Myrtle; Sand myrtle
Conservation status
| South Carolina rank | Not available |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G4 |
| SC status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
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Sources
- nc_flora
- usda
- South Carolina occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications