No evergreen shrub is going to be happy with a lot of high winds and definitely not salt spray. The most important factor in success with kalmia is a coarse organic soil with lots of air space and excellent drainage. Plant it where the soil seems best, but plan on protecting it from the wind with a burlap screen or other device for the winter at least for the first 2 or three years.

Yeah...don't really have a spot with organic soil. The blue princess holly seem reasonably happy in the spot where they are frequently exposed to high winds and occasionally salt spray.

Kalmia likes acid soil and some shade, winter exposure might be too much, drainage is important

I ultimately selected Option 3, a mixed border with a thin layer of organic soil over fine sand. Some shade to the North and East. Full sun to the West and Southwest. Acidic soil, well draining, but a lot of wind exposure and salt spray every few years. We'll see if it can survive the exposure. Blue Princess holly seems reasonably happy in the location.

ed.. just for your edification ... lol ... i failed at my one try with this plant ...

soil was good.. but i think the mature mulberry sucked the life out of it.. regardless of how much i watered ... or the maple 20 feet away ... two worse trees EVER .... for planting under i mean ....

just wanted you to know.. we all fail at times ...

i think part of the reason i did not try again.. is it is a borderline z5 plant .... i had never ran across one in my MI garden travels... and when you realize that.. you think to yourself ... its all microclimate.. and i aint got it ...

ken

I actually tried the plant once without success, but that was a plant I purchased in the middle of the summer at a plant sale and there were a lot of problems with that specimen. So...not a good test.

On the plus side, I'm in Zone 6, almost zone 7. The only root competition is with a baby dwarf Alberta Spruce and a few adolescent White Pine nearby...some tiny hydrangea nearby and a honeylocust in the distance.

So, it survived transplant shock and the harsh winter. Bloomed beautifully, but the edges of the leaves are yellowed. Should I chalk the yellowing up to the drought and bad winter, or do something about it?

I have moved my Kalmia around 3 weeks ago, last two years it had black spot so I am really curious I change of location will help, I noticed they r very sensitive plants. My other one has brown tips on its leaves all over after hot spring we got here I assume the leaves will just fall off??