is this some sort of laurel?

[Dan_Shade]

[Don K]

Dan I believe it is. I don't know the correct species, but we have some very similar to those that I've always heard called mountain laurels. They grow on the hillsides and banks of our creeks here in Clarke County, Alabama.

[SwampDonkey]

I would say it is as well. The individual flowers in those clusters even look like rhodadendron. I've seen alot of wild rhodadendron in Virginia growing in the oak forests. But, rhodadendron leaves are whorled and evergreen.

[Dan_Shade]

this is evergreen as well. 

[SwampDonkey]

I got looking closer at it and I think it's rhodadendron. ;)

[Riles]

I think you had it the first time.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=52

[Don P]

It looks to be a mt laurel to me, taller than ours but the bloom, bark, and foliage are laurel. Ours have been opening this week. The catawba rhododendron are blooming now, the purple ones.

The rosebay rhodies come on in another little while, they have more of a whitish color, but a rhodo has a larger leaf, almost getting into small magnolia size. Rhodies are a pretty good temperarure indicator in the winter. If the leaves are rolled up tight, you better button up good.

Our flame azaleas are also blooming now, its also known as deciduous azalea, it loses its leaves in winter.

The early pinkster azaleas have finished a couple of weeks ago. We do have a minnie bush blooming down on the lower drive, I had stepped around it while pruning the road edge thinking it was a flame, we had to look that one up this week.

[SwampDonkey]

I didn't realize it, but Rhodendron is also the species name of some laurels. No wonder I was cornfused. ;D :D

Our laurels up here are of the Kalmia species and we have at least 3 I can think of.

[Phorester]

Yep, you have mountain laurel, Dan.  My most favorite flowering shrub in the woods.

[SwampDonkey]

We have Rhodora .....

[SwampDonkey]

I think you had it the first time.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=52

Yep  ;)

[Dan_Shade]

  i thought it was a mountain laurel, but there's not a mountain within 75 miles of here!  I'm at sealevel too.

they are very pretty this time of year.