they don't bloom as well in heavy shade, at least around here (coastal NE MD)

Mountain laurel should be a reliable bloomer when it is mature, but it does require a decidedly acidic & well-drained soil.

Does anyone know if sheep Laurel has the same growing habits or can you count on it to bloom like most of my azaleas

Also worth noting, the cultivars I have like 'Sarah', 'Forever Red', etc. seem to be a bit alternate year blooming. They always bloom but they are heavier every other year.

This is where Latin nomenclature is called for. Is "sheep Laurel" the same as "mountain laurel" ? Once you know and we know exactly what you are talking about you can get reliable informaton on line or from Michael Dirr's Woody Trees and Shrubs.

Honest, I'm not being a snob. Unless you know and we know if you;re talking about a peach, plum or nectarine you simply aren't going to get good information.

Kalmia angustifolia (Sheep Laurel)

And Mountain Laurel is kalmia latifolia. That's about all I can add to the discussion.!

They are quite different plants. Kalmia angustifolia/sheep laurel blooms below the new leaves, with smaller flowers so it is less ornamental. In growth pattern is is more like a 2’ high woody ground cover as opposed to a good sized shrub. The leaves are less weather resistent, and so here on the cold edge of zone 5 they are droopy and tattered in winter. I enjoy them along the road side, on woodland edges, and along wetlands, but I would not plant them in an ornamental garden. They seems to like a good amount of sun, at least in my area. I cannot tell you if they bloom every year because mine are all in a thicket as opposed to individual specimens.

My Kalmia latifolia, several selections, bloom every year, though heavier in some years than others. The foliage is nice looking year round, and they are medium to large shrubs, blooming about a month earlier than sheep laurel which is just ending bloom now here in centralNH. I find them to be more shade tolerant than sheep laurel. Maybe your mountain laurels need more maturity? or a different setting?

Thank you for the great response; good points you made

That's why was pressing for Latin nomenclature: to make sure we were all talking about the same plant. I'd never seen sheep laurel used in a cultivated garden, only in the wild. And there it is a low thicket-y plant