The intoxicating fragrance of Texas mountain laurel is enough to cause drivers to slam on the brakes or dog walkers to abruptly stop short, giving poor Fido whiplash. How to Grow and Care for Gaillardia (Blanket Flowers), How to Diagnose and Prevent Phony Peach Disease, Your Guide to Growing Chicken Scratch Greens for Healthy Chickens, 11 of the Best Double Hellebore Varieties for the Late Winter Garden, Seeds: 1/2 inch; transplant: same depth as root ball, Soil should be alkaline and well-draining. The Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) is a desirable landscape shrub popular in the alkaline soils around Interstate 35, which cuts through the middle of the state, and areas westward. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Toxic mescal beans were used ritually by indigenous peoples of the Central and Southern plains tribes for their psychoactive properties. Nor should they be confused with the alcoholic beverage mezcal, which is made from the agave plant. But can you grow mountain laurel in a pot? Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. I have a young texas mountain laurel that I’m curious will be fine in the cold winters of West Texas. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It’s a common misconception that mountain laurels like deep shade, because they tend to grow in the wild under leafy canopies. GARDENER'S PATH® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Texas mountain laurel’s glossy, dark green leaves are evergreen and leathery. Texas Mountain Laurels are generally disease and pest-free, and tolerate a wide range of well-drained soils. With both donated and purchased seeds, chances are they’re more mature. Keep reading to learn more about caring for mountain laurel in containers. English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus): English laurel in a container makes a dense, glossy evergreen screen or backdrop for shady spots. Mountain laurel is a slow grower, and it may be years before flowers are produced. Here is more about what we do. The 'Texas mountain laurel' grows in poor soil with good drainage. It has beautiful spring blooms, and its elliptical, glossy deep-green leaves (resembling those of rhododendrons) and gnarled stems make it attractive in all seasons. They like to grow in a location that gets plenty of full sun exposure, and they're water-wise too, so once established they will have little to moderate watering needs. There is no actual need to prune Texas mountain laurel. Some of these are reflective of the plant’s native territory, which in addition to central, southern, and western Texas, also includes New Mexico and northern Mexico. Starting mountain laurel in containers will probably give better control of moisture and pests. Germination of Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora) ... photographed several days earlier. Mountain Laurel Transplant Tips – How To Transplant Mountain Laurel Bushes, Mountain Laurel Cold Hardiness: How To Care For Mountain Laurels In Winter, Texas Mountain Laurel Won’t Bloom: Troubleshooting A Flowerless Texas Mountain Laurel, Plant Donation Info: Giving Away Plants To Others, Easy Garden Gifts: Choosing Gifts For New Gardeners, Mixed Container With Succulents: Succulents For Thriller, Filler, and Spiller Designs, Fungus Gnat Vs. There's no doubt that the Texas Mountain Laurel tree is an ornamental beauty and it gets bonus points because it's an evergreen with a sturdy structure that can keep its leaves all year long. COPYRIGHT © 2020 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Most mountain laurels are hardy down to USDA zone 5, but container plants are much less resistant to cold. The short answer is: yes. But a few tricks may provide faster results, if you’d like to grow some seedlings for transplant into the garden. So while you might be tempted to prune during winter dormancy, this might result in less abundant blooms. A great flowering small to a medium-sized evergreen tree. Dig a hole slightly bigger than the root ball, then carefully place the root ball into the hole, and backfill with planting site soil. Though these slow-growing plants can be kept pruned to a shrub size, most often they are allowed to mature into small treelike forms 10 feet wide and 15 feet high, multi- or single-trunked. While many plants that you might run across in the wild will not transplant well, young mountain laurels are highly adaptable. For years these plants were described as "slow growing" and impossible to grow economically in containers. They are native to the alkaline soils of the Texas Hill Country, and are often found growing among granite rocks. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. If you’d like to learn more about growing other shrubs, check out these articles: © Ask the Experts, LLC. First prune out any deadwood. The large clusters – as long as 6 inches – of showy flowers appear in early spring, and sadly, bloom for just a few weeks before withering and taking their scent away. To begin, choose a pot of at least 12 inches deep and wide. Famed TV chef Emeril Lagasse used to lament the non-invention of “smell-o-vision.” I wish for “smell-o-website” so I could share with you the heavenly scent produced by the pretty purple flowers of these shrubs. Mountain laurel shrubs are eastern North American natives with beautiful, unique, cup-shaped flowers that bloom in the spring and summer in shades of white to pink. “Tinkerbell” is another excellent dwarf variety that grows to only 3 feet (0.9 m.) tall and wide, and produces vibrant pink flowers. These bushes have very shallow root systems. They’ll do well in clay, loam, and sand, and will tolerate being planted in or near turf. Mountain laurel is a gorgeous species of flowering shrub which may prove difficult to propagate.However, with time and patience, propagation is feasible and more rewarding than simply buying a shrub from the nursery. Texas Mountain Laurel Newly Sprouted Plants via Amazon. Read more articles about Mountain Laurel. However, in spite of the name, they do not contain the hallucinogenic alkaloid mescaline, found in the peyote cactus. This slow growing evergreen may be grown as a medium to large shrub or trained to a single or multi-trunk tree. Most of us will probably not find one in the wild though, so we’ll have to hunt for our mountain laurel at our local nurseries. A quick note: those of us here in Texas understand there’s another plant that calls itself “mountain laurel.” Nevertheless, our laurel is unrelated to Kalmia latifolia, a member of the heather family, Ericaceae, whereas ours is in the pea family, Fabaceae. Transplant it in the spring or fall. They are usually used as landscape plants, and can often be seen blooming in dappled shade under trees and taller shrubs. Control these one-inch-long snackers with Bacillus thuringiensis. Keep in mind that the blossoms only appear on year-old wood. Last updated: March 9, 2020 at 17:16 pm. Growing Texas Mountain Laurel. However, if you’re patient, you can grow a Texas mountain laurel from seed. This article will describe how to propagate the mountain laurel shrub using seed propagation and propagation from cuttings. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a large shrub that can reach as much as 20 feet (6 m.) in height. They grow up to 15-maybe 20 ft. tall and about 15 ft. wide. The mescal beans contain a number of poisonous quinolizidine alkaloids, including cystine, a narcotic alkaloid with a similar molecular structure to that of nicotine. Growing Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora) and Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea) from Seed Cynthia W. Mueller, Galveston County Master Gardener Two of Texas' most spectacular native plants, Texas Mountain Laurel and Coral Bean, are fairly easy to grow from seed, and difficult to transplant as they become larger and more entrenched in the landscape. Hungry deer? But the breathtaking bouquet is just one of the charms of this Texas native, which is hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 7b. No rain for weeks? However you plant your seeds, water them daily for the first couple of months, then about once a week for another year. If you’re collecting seeds, pick the pods when they’re still mostly green but just starting to turn gray. The bad news is that this plant is plagued by Uresiphita reversalis, aka genista caterpillar or sephora worm. TEXAS’ MOUNTAIN LAUREL ... Mt. It has taken a few years to get the proper recipe for growing them,but this year looks good. Select a variety that will wor… Shore Fly: How To Tell Fungus Gnats And Shore Flies Apart, Growing Bushes In Zone 9: Choosing Shrubs For Zone 9 Gardens, Growing Mint From Seed: Learn How To Plant Mint Seeds, No Flowers On A Dove Tree – Tips For Getting Blooms On Dove Trees, Recipes From The Garden: Pressure Cooking Root Vegetables, Gratitude For The Garden – Being Grateful For Each Growing Season, 7 Reasons To Do Your Garden Shopping Locally, Thankful Beyond Words – What Represents Gratefulness In My Garden. Share your tips and thoughts in the comments section. We take great pride in knowing that we are selling you the highest quality Texas Mountain Laurel on the market. They’ll do well in clay, loam, and sand, and will tolerate being planted in or near turf. Daphne is hardy in zones 5 to 8. Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. The caterpillars form loose webbing on the plants they’re decimating. Choose a planting site in an area that gets full sun. Follow. Lousy soil? The pest is the genista caterpillar. Can you grow mountain laurel in a pot? You will still see Texas mountain laurel referred to as S. secundiflora or C. secundiflora in some places. They also do perfectly well with no fertilization, but in areas with very poor soil you can add a small amount of a balanced fertilizer such as NPK 10-10-10 in springtime. Alternatively, you can direct sow in the garden. Mountain laurels (Kalmia latifolia) are evergreen shrubs that thrive outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 … You can try soaking the seeds in warm water for 2-3 days, changing the water regularly to keep it tepid. Lovely as they are, the flowers of Texas mountain laurel are toxic to humans and animals, as are the plant’s seed pods and leaves. D. secundiflorum will also tolerate light shade for part of the day. To learn how to prune mountain laurel shrubs, click on this article for more information. It will probably not be cold hardy north of Interstate 20. “Minuet” is one such variety, a very small shrub that reaches only 3 feet (0.9 m.) in height and breadth and produces pink flowers with a bright red ring through the middle. When the brutal heat strikes, like many of us, these plants will go dormant. You’ll have to scarify them before planting, as they have extremely hard shells. Texas mountain laurel likes rocky soils, but it will tolerate planting in or near turf, as long as the soil is deep and drains well. Texas mountain laurel prefers alkaline, well-drained rocky soils, including those that contain limestone. But can you grow mountain laurel in a pot? Texas mountain laurel does not propagate well from cuttings. Click here to learn more about caring for mountain laurel in containers. Texas Mountain Laurel has a slow growth rate. Texas Mountain Laurel is a native evergreen shrub that can be trained as a multi-trunked small tree. If you’d like to start with seeds, you can get packets of five seeds via Amazon. Learn more about Monrovia plants and best practices for best possible plant performance. If you’re looking for live plants, consider these from Amazon. Elishah Flores (Lubbock, Texas zone 7b) 2 years ago. These and other dwarf varieties are usually compact enough to live happily for years in large containers. They are not drought tolerant and require regular watering, especially during periods of drought. Mature Texas mountain laurels have a deep root system, and they do not transplant well once established. While it can reach 30’ tall if given lots of water, it usually holds in the more manageable and desirable 10’ to 15’ range and gets about 10’ wide. For years these plants were described as “slow growing” and impossible to grow economically in containers. I've been growing the Mountain Laurels for a few years now in mass quantity via containers. Texas mountain laurel prefers alkaline, well-drained rocky soils, including those that contain limestone. The seeds – called mescal beans – are a pretty orange-red color and are sometimes used as necklace beads. If the flowers are not d… Purchase a 15-gallon specimen from a nursery to enjoy its immediate beauty. Then cut out thin, spindly branches. All of our trees will have been in their final container for at least two months before you receive them. This shade-loving shrub produces clusters of rose, pink, or white flowers with purple markings in late May to early June. If someone hands you some hard, older pods, soak them in water to make it easier to break them apart and get at the seeds. This approach appears to work best if you first make a small cut in the tough outer shell. The root had already reached the bottom of the 1-gallon container in which it germinated. Water often. Because of some innovative work in propagating native plants of Texas by Lone Star Growers (now Color Spot) in San Antonio, Mt. The Texas Mountain Laurel Tree (Calia secundiflora) also called the Mescal bean. Gardeners looking for a tough evergreen tree or shrub that perfumes the air each spring with a floral scent that stops traffic should consider Texas mountain laurel. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is flowering broadleaf evergreen shrub with a multi-stemmed growth habit. The seeds will be pale pink and their shells will be relatively soft. It can be pruned to keep it shrub-like. Move to the ground (or a larger container) as desired. Product photo via Amazon. A former garden editor for a daily newspaper in Austin, Texas, Gretchen Heber goes through entirely too many pruners and garden gloves in a year’s time. There’s no need to use pruning paint. In south-central Texas, mountain laurel is commonly found on well-drained Hill Country limestone. If you live in zone 7 or below, you should provide winter protection by moving your container grown mountain laurels to an unheated garage or shed, or submerging their pots in the ground for the winter. For a more shrub-like appearance, trim the upper branches. A typical mature size is 15 feet high and 10 feet wide. An alternative pruning time is in the summer, after it has finished flowering. This is the story of how I discovered 3 easy ways to control Texas mountain laurel pests that can quickly destroy new, tender leaf growth. You’ll get two newly sprouted plants. Evidence of their use can be found in numerous archaeological sites in Texas and Mexico, and shows that these cultures also used the colorful seeds decoratively. Have you grown Texas mountain laurel? Laurels are now available as container-grown plants and are very affordable. Bury the seed about 1/2 inch deep. To Gretchen, nothing is more rewarding than a quick dash to the garden to pluck herbs to season the evening meal. To encourage height, prune out lower branches and leave just one, two, or three trunks. D. secundiflorum takes it all and comes out smelling like a… glass of grape Kool-Aid? Mature Texas mountain laurels have a deep root system, and they do not transplant well once established. And it’s definitely time for a happy dance when she’s able to beat the squirrels to the peaches, figs, or loquats. Remember that container plants always dry out more quickly than plants in the ground. However, it’s a very popular landscape specimen can be used in both Blackland clays and sandy soils. When I lived in the high altitudes of Las Cruces, New Mexico, I grew a few Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora ) trees in my xeriscape. Mountain laurel by lcrms / Adobe Stock. The green portion of the plant was above ground, ... Obviously one should not crowd 7 or 8 mountain laurels into a single small pot. Plant Texas Mountain Laurel in full sun or light shade. Once established, these drought-tolerant shrubs require little to no irrigation. There are dwarf varieties available, however, that are much more suited to container life. Sophora secundiflora Texas Mountain Laurel The slow-growing Texas Mountain Laurel is native to desert environments and generally thrives in sunny, arid locations, where it can make an excellent scenic hedge with proper pruning. How to Grow Mountain Laurels From Seed. Even better, this is one of those plants that disperses its aroma several feet; I can smell my neighbors’ plant’s blooms from across the street. Mountain laurel tends to sell out early in the season, so plan ahead and beat the crowd. It prefers poor, rocky soil, but i… These plants grow slowly, so if you’re looking for an immediate statement in the landscape, you might consider purchasing a well-established specimen in a large container from a local nursery. Prune no more than one-third of the plant at a time. Potted mountain laurel plants should be treated more or less the same as their cousins in the garden. Growing 3- or 4-feet tall, it produces sweet flowers in spring. Deer leave this one alone, so nothing to worry about there. Growing to a general height and width of five to eight feet (1.5 to 2 m.), cutting back mountain laurels may occasionally be necessary to fit the space they are in. Mulch. She’s never met a succulent she didn’t like and gets really irritated every 3-4 years when Austin actually has a freeze cold enough to kill them. Otherwise, they have a tendency to rot in the soil (which obviously isn’t very good for the plant). Each spring, it produces fragrant clusters of violet-blue flowers which create a wonderful display Email Save Comment 6. The flowers are the most interesting feature of the plant. Mountain Laurels often do better when the crown (where the stems meet the roots) is a little above ground and covered with mulch. But, Texas being Texas, we had to stamp it with our own name, of course. Since 2003, we have been growing strong and healthy Texas Mountain Laurels from seed in containers. Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora Secundiflora. Ensure proper drainage and then plant the bay leaf plant at the same depth as it was in the previous pot, fill the pot with loamy potting soil and compost. It will produce very fragrant purple hanging flowers in early spring, usually around late March to early April. April 5, 2008 at 4:04 PM You can also create a tall screen with these, by planting several in a row and letting them bush out. Mountain laurel is easy to grow from transplants. When transplanting into the ground, mix some extra calcium into the soil at the planting site to help plants get established. Texas mountain laurel makes a lovely specimen tree or shrub, which is primarily how I see them grown in Austin. I Have A Texas Mountain Laurel, My Dad got is 15 years ago and has produced alot of Flowers and attract a bunch of those fat black bees :-P the seeds sprout quick for me, if i put them in potting soil about an inch deep will germinate between 2-3 weeks if not less, also i have tried peat moss and have had good germation rates also um well im just posting to see if any one wants germinate … Laurels are now available as container-grown plants and are very affordable. No problem. It tolerates our heat, can take part to full and even reflected sun. As you would with morning glories, scratch them up with a knife, for example, or use sandpaper. I've found that container grown Mountain Laurels are aesthetically pleasing. Dermatophyllum secundiflorum The intoxicating fragrance of Texas mountain laurel is enough to cause drivers to slam on the brakes or dog walkers to … Laurel Bay leaf is a tree, but it can be grown in containers as well. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. It is highly drought tolerant after getting established for a year or two and is cold tolerant to about 10°F. Glossy dark leaves up to 5 inches long are divided into seven to nine 1-inch rounded leaflets. Sign up for our newsletter. Discussion Growing Bay Laurel in containers and beyond Author Date within 1 day 3 days 1 week 2 weeks 1 month 2 months 6 months 1 year of Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04 It is hardy down to 10 degree F. A frugal water user once established, but if thoroughly soaked several times a month during the summer, you can increase this plant's rate of growth. I know they are native to east Texas so would it be fine up here? While it’s true that they will tolerate shade, they actually perform best in dappled to partial sunlight, where they will produce the most blooms. In our hill-country environment it has taken at least 10 years for untended plants started from seed to bloom. This yellow-bodied immature moth can strip the leaves off a Texas mountain laurel in no time flat, though the foliage almost always grows back and the plant suffers no permanent damage. Mountain laurel shrubs are usually used as landscape plants, and can often be seen blooming in dappled shade under trees and taller shrubs. But if you want to change its form, say, into more of a traditional tree shape, or into a more compact bush, you can do so. Seeds that fall from the plant can take years to germinate, as they have extremely hard shells. Let’s start with the good news. This plant has several common-name aliases, including coral bean, hot bean, mescal bean, mescal bean sophora, frigolito, frijollito, frijolillo, coral bean, big-drunk bean, and colorin. Monrovia's Texas Mountain Laurel details and information. TREES 10 Top Trees to Grow in Containers. Older specimens in their natural habitat can reach 30 to 50 feet tall at maturity. Although slow-growing and difficult to transplant, mountain laurel is one of the best small trees for any landscape. Sow these in gallon-sized containers with holes in the bottom filled with well-draining potting mix. 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