How can you tell a mountain laurel in Texas?
Texas Mountain Laurels are slow growers with dark green, glossy, compound leaves and drooping clusters of purply-blue flowers. Flowers range from dark violet to bluish-lavender to, rarely, white and waft a powerful, sweet, grape fragrance over considerable distances.
How tall do Texas mountain laurels grow?
Mescal bean or Texas mountain laurel is an evergreen, usually multi-trunked shrub or small tree ranging from just a few feet tall to more than 30 ft. in height, though its usual height at maturity is 10-15 ft.
How fast does a Texas mountain laurel grow?
Texas mountain laurel does not grow fast in the best conditions, but you can increase the growth rate to about two feet per year if it is growing in good soil and it is fertilized twice per year. Fast-growing Texas mountain laurels, however, are slow to begin blooming.
What do mountain laurel leaves look like?
Mountain laurel’s are smooth and a paler shade of green than their top side. While Rhododendron’s leaves are also a paler shade of green on the underside, in addition, they are covered in a brown fuzz. Another difference is the curling direction for the edges of the leaves.
How much does a Texas Mountain Laurel cost?
Sophora secundiflora
| Botanical Pronunciation | so-FOH-ruh see-kun-di-FLOR-uh |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Spring |
| Design Ideas | A lovely small tree, sometimes multi-trunked, that can be used in the sunny patio or at a front entryway where its fragrant spring blossoms can be used to full effect. |
| Deciduous/ Evergreen | Evergreen |
What do Texas Mountain Laurel smell like?
The Texas Mountain Laurel is a drought-tolerant evergreen shrub with dark, shiny leaves and large drooping clusters of purple flowers that smell oddly like grape bubblegum. The flowers give way to large seed pods filled with bright red seeds.
How much do Texas mountain laurels cost?
This slow growing evergreen may be grown as a medium to large shrub or trained to a single or multi-trunk tree. A typical mature size is 15 feet high and 10 feet wide….Sophora Secundiflora.
| Size | Price | Available Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2-3 feet | $45 | 20 |
What kills mountain laurel?
Spray the area with an herbicide that contains the active ingredient triclopyr. This will prevent any roots remaining in the ground from sprouting. If your shrub is small and you don’t mind using chemicals, you can spray the plant with this herbicide after the leaves have fully opened.
Can Mountain Laurel grow in full sun?
Mountain laurel will grow in USDA Zones 5 to 9 in deep shade to full sun, but it does best in moderate to partial shade. In deep shade it won’t produce as many flowers and can become spindly. Too-bright sun can cause scorching of the leaves.
What looks like a mountain laurel?
Differentiating Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron Mountain laurel and rhododendron have a similar appearance, which can make identification difficult. Both plants have green and elliptical-shaped leaves.
Can a Texas mountain laurel be transplanted?
Texas Mountain Laurels are not easily transplanted and may require a year or more to overcome the process. One way to overcome this obstacle is to plant the seeds where you want them in the landscape or to plant them in gallon containers.
How poisonous is Texas mountain laurel?
The seeds of this plant, which are often used in making necklaces, are mildly poisonous if eaten. The poisonous elements of this plant resemble nicotine in its actions and toxicity. If seeds are ingested, it can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, excitement, delirium, and coma.