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Great Design Plant: Texas Mountain Laurel
An unusual scent and lush violet-blue blooms make this heat-loving plant a singular choice for your landscape
Whether it's the purple blooms of this plant, the fact that it needs only monthly watering or its distinct grape Kool-Aid smell, there is a lot to love about Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora). While you may not call Texas Hill Country home, adding some Lone Star style to your landscape can be as simple as planting a tree.
Browse landscape designs | More great design plants
Browse landscape designs | More great design plants
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| Botanical name: Sophora secundiflora Common names: Texas mountain laurel, mescal bean, mountain laurel, mescal bean sophora, frijolillo, frijolito USDA zones: 7 to 10 Water requirement: Infrequent Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade Mature size: 15 to 25 feet tall, 10 to 15 feet wide Tolerances: Drought, wind, deer and frost Caution: Seeds are poisonous if ingested |
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| Distinguishing traits. A desert native, Texas mountain laurel possesses survival traits necessary to thrive in an arid climate while exuding characteristics of plants from much more temperate regions. Naturally spreading and shrubby, it can also be trained as a multistemmed upright tree. Dark green compound leaves cover its branches year-round, but its early spring blooms make Texas mountain laurel shine. Reminiscent of wisteria flowers, drooping clusters of violet-blue buds abound in midwinter. The flowers have been described as smelling like grape Kool-Aid or other artificial grape products. A relatively short bloom time leads to summer seed pods. If possible, remove the seed pods before they open in order to prevent the poisonous seeds from dropping. Photo by Stan Shebs via Wikimedia Commons |
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by Rod Anderson
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| How to use it. Texas mountain laurel is a great pick for a patio or small space due to its human scale and upright form. If you prefer to leave it untrained, Texas mountain laurel will spread nicely to form a landscape screen year-round. |
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by Pam Bycraft
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| Planting notes. Texas mountain laurel thrives in heat, owing to its native climate, yet is hardy to temperatures reaching 10 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Plant in well-drained soil and give it deep monthly waterings during especially warm months. Texas mountain laurel is relatively slow growing, causing it to be a pricier specimen tree. If you train it as a tree, thin it during the growing season to prevent wind damage. More great design trees: Bald Cypress | Chinese Witch Hazel | Japanese Maple | Manzanita | Persian Ironwood Smoke Tree | Tree Aloe Great design flowers: Catmint | Golden Creeping Jenny | Pacific Coast Iris | Plumbago Red Kangaroo Paw | Sally Holmes Rose | Slipper Plant | Snake Flower Great design grasses: Black Mondo Grass | Cape Rush | Feather Reed Grass | New Zealand Wind Grass Great design plants: Blue Chalk Sticks | Hens-and-Chicks | Redtwig Dogwood | Toyon |
Ideabook updated on Feb. 29, 2012.
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