Mountain Laurel & Gardens

Maudslay State Park has what DCR calls one of the largest naturally occurring stands of mountain laurel in Massachusetts, and DCR's bloom guide puts its peak at about the third week of June. The laurel grows on the bank of the Merrimack River in an area the park's map calls simply the Laurels. It comes late in a run of color that starts with dogwoods in early May, moves through the azaleas and rhododendrons the Moseley family planted around their estate, and ends with rosebay rhododendron in the fourth week of June. The formal gardens keep blooming into August.

Maudslay's Bloom Calendar

DCR's Maudslay in Bloom brochure gives approximate peak weeks for each plant. DCR marks every week as approximate, so treat it as a guide rather than a schedule.

• Dogwood: first week of May.
• Royal azalea: second week of May.
• Pink shell azalea, Kaempferi azalea, Carolina rhododendron, Catawba and Dexter rhododendrons: third week of May.
• Flame azalea: fourth week of May.
• Swamp azalea: second week of June.
• Mountain laurel: third week of June.
• Rosebay rhododendron: fourth week of June.

Where to See the Mountain Laurel

The biggest stand is the Laurels, number 19 on DCR's map, on the Merrimack riverbank in the north of the park between Laurel Walk, Cathedral Road and the Castle Hill Trail. The Merrimack River Trail runs along its edge. DCR's easy introductory walk also reaches laurel: out the Pasture Trail from the main lot and right across the three-arch stone bridge into woodland of pines and mountain laurel (trails).

The Laurels area is closed to the public from November 1 to March 31, according to DCR's map, so in spring it reopens weeks before the bloom.

Where to See the Azaleas and Rhododendrons

The Moseleys planted masses of azaleas and rhododendrons around the house and gardens. DCR's map names several spots worth finding in May: the Azalea Swamp, the Rhododendron Dell, the Italian and Rose Gardens, the Long Border Garden and the Flowering Pond, which the family bordered with flowering shrubs. DCR's brochure notes dogwoods and azaleas along Hedge Drive, the carriage road where the Merrimack River Trail walk begins.

The Formal Gardens

DCR says the formal gardens bloom from May through August with a wide range of species, and suggests seeing them before or after a wooded trail walk. DCR describes plans to restore many of the gardens and specimen plantings, and the Friends of Maudslay volunteer group works with DCR on garden walls and other projects (history).

A Very Old Bloom

DCR says the laurels have covered these riverbanks for centuries. Long before the park, from 1849 to 1870, Mr. and Mrs. William Ashby of Newburyport held yearly literary parties at the Laurel Grounds called the Feast of Flowers, and the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, one of their guests, wrote several poems about the place. More than a century later, DCR notes, the June bloom still draws crowds.

Mountain Laurel Elsewhere in Massachusetts

What sets Maudslay apart, by DCR's description, is the size of its naturally occurring stand on a riverbank you can walk beside, with the Moseley family's planted azaleas and rhododendrons around it. If you are combining stops in June, the North Shore coast is close: see things to do in Newburyport.

Bloom Visit Tips

• Don't pick flowers or cut branches. DCR prohibits removing any park resource and asks visitors not to pick flowers or other vegetation.
• Stay on the trails; DCR asks visitors to keep to designated trails and roads.
• Come early on June weekends; parking is limited and charged year-round.
• Photography for yourself is fine. Professional or portrait sessions need a DCR photography permit (see weddings and events).
• DCR's park interpreters lead seasonal walks; call (978) 465-7223 to ask about bloom programs.