Plant Description:
Lusciously fragrant, violet-blue, wisteria-like blossoms create a gorgeous display against the glossy, evergreen foliage of Texas Mountain Laurel. An extremely showy member of the Fabaceae, or Pea family, the striking flowers dangle in heavy clusters from February through March, releasing a heady scent often compared to that of grape soda. Although toxic to humans and pets, the blooms entice butterflies, bees, and a variety of other friendly, beneficial pollinators to pay a visit to the landscape. They are followed in summer by fuzzy gray seed pods containing shiny red, orange, or burgundy seeds that, while extremely beautiful, are also dangerously poisonous. Fortunately, the pods are extremely hard and difficult to break open but must, nevertheless, be kept far out of the reach of children and pets. Providing a lush feel and year-round beauty to arid landscapes, Texas Mountain Laurel is a broadleaf evergreen featuring lustrous, leathery, obovate, pinnately compound leaves made up of 7-9 airy leaflets. The leaves are alternately arranged along slender branches that can be trained to grow into a multi-trunked small tree or pruned to remain shrub-like. Texas Mountain Laurel typically grows to a manageable height of 10-15 feet and just as wide, although it has been known to reach 32 feet if given lots of water. Native to the bushy slopes, plains, and dry, rocky, calcareous soils of Texas, Mexico, and New Mexico, this is a remarkably slow-growing, drought tolerant, and deer-resistant tree. It is cold hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit and perennial within USDA hardiness zones 8A-10B. This native evergreen prefers sandy, loamy, rocky, limestone but is not picky about pH levels and will grow in just about any well-drained soil under full sun. Texas Mountain Laurel makes an ideal small tree for sunny patios, courtyards, or other limited spaces where its fragrant spring blooms can be enjoyed at close range. Excellent in xeriscapes, it is also a lovely border specimen, street tree, or espalier, blending beautifully among other drought tolerant companions like Lady Banks Rose, English Lavender, Yarrow, Verbena, Rock Rose, or Lantana. In west Texas and Mexico, the plant’s shiny, colorful, lacquer-like seeds have been found in archeological sites dating back 6,500 years. They were discovered on clothing remnants or were strung to create ornamental necklaces and earrings. A narcotic powder released by crushing the seed was once used by indigenous people as a hallucinogenic drug during sacred rituals. The seeds were also boiled, crushed, and applied medicinally to treat earaches. Texas Mountain Laurel is known botanically by the name Sophora secundiflora. The genus Sophora is defined as “a shrub or small tree having pinnate leaves poisonous to livestock and dense racemes of intensely fragrant blue flowers and red beans.” The species name, secundiflora, translates to the phrase, “having flowers on one side,” in reference to the plant’s pea-like flowers. As long as children and pets are kept out of reach, Texas Mountain Laurel makes a spectacular addition to arid gardens where few other evergreen plants can easily thrive.