Texas Mountain Laurel, Mescal Bean
Sophora secundiflora
The Texas mountain laurel is a wonderful addition to the landscape. The blue and yellow pansies are the perfect combination planting. I wish it bloomed all year. Shown in March. (San Antonio, Tx.)
That specimen is gorgeous. I have never seen Texas Mountain Laurel but it sure looks like I am missing something spectacular. Thanks for sharing it, Hazel.
Susan
It is a super tree, but a slow grower compared to most trees. The blooms contrast nicely with the deep, dark green leaves. When in bloom, it serves as a natural air freshener with its wonderful fragrance. Where this tree is located, all of the yards all have them for blocks and blocks. The sight is so beautiful, especially with Texas redbuds and fruit trees blooming too. Thanks for your comments.
Hazel: that is georgeous! They are blooming everywhere right now. Even in the wild areas of the county, where I haven't noticed them before. I'm with you - I wish they bloomed for a longer period!
Gretchen, maybe the temps not falling into the mid 20s much this year has blessed us with the magnificent blooms on the trees this year. The mountain laurels are prettier than I have ever seen them before. I took so many photos of them that I had a difficult time choosing the one to post. I really like the pansies growing at the base of this tree. By the way, I have some surprises about ready to give you. I'll email you later ... I am edging and weed whacking right now. It is sorta chilly out there today. I had on shorts and a T-shirt thinking it was like yesterday and I had to change into something warmer. Sure hope we don't have a late freeze like last year! Thanks for your comments.
I just love this!! The flowers remind me of short wisteria panicles. A wisteria in a tree form. Very exciting. I just love it. I may get my Texas friened to sneak me one! LOL Thanks
They indeed look like wisteria from a distance. They are just beyond words. I saw a house today that had about 8 of them planted around it. There were several Texas redbud and plum trees plus Chinese fringe flowers, pansies and cyclamen in bloom in the yard too. It looked like a fantasyland. I wish you could smell the mountain laurel ... it has an delicious fragrance. If you obtain one, I am sure that you will love it. Thanks for your comments.
I wish I could too htop!!
I love that tree! When my father lived in Sun City, AZ. there was a huge one down the block from him and I loved the smell of the grape bubble gum blooms...just yummy. I bought one to bring home and of course has to be treated as a house plant...hasn't died but hasn't done too much of anything in 4 years.
kell, if someone created a Texas mountain laurel air freshener they might make a mint. It would have to be toned down for inside the house. One full strength for outside to be used in a patio area for instance would be an idea!
Tyke, I have never heard of one being used as a house plant. I am amazed that it has lived because it loves the sun. Do you place it outside in warm weather? Thanks for your comments.
htop...yes, it goes outside all summer and then comes in over winter...I just keep hoping for at least one bloom.
How tall is it? Where do you keep it in the winter? I had a thought ... maybe if you place a grow light shining on it only in the daytime in the winter, it might encourage it to bloom in the spring. It would be a good experiment anyway. It is a real shame that it has not bloomed.
Will the Texas Mountain Laurel grow in Tyler, TX? If so where can I purchase one? Thanks
If it can, let me know, my best friend lives in Tyler!!
I am not sure if they grow in Tyler. I asked my sister-in-law who is from Tyler and she can't remember whether they do or not. This site lists them growing in Texas Zone 3 which borders your Zone 1:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/xeriscape/table4.html
Here is a nursery that is supposed to have them: Tram-Tex Nursery, Inc. - Tyler, TX - 800/657-1831. You should ask them how well they grow there. I know the trees love limestoney soil and there in east Texas your soil is much different than here.
Small ones are growing all over the area at my husband's deer lease. Next time he goes, he said he would try to dig up some that are about 1 foot tall if you would like one of these. I do not know how well they would tolerate transplanting or whether he could obtain enough roots given the rocky nature of the terrain at the deer lease. These are very slow growing plants. If I bought one, I would purchase one that is at least 4 or 5 feet tall. They are very expensive here.
I'm a years-late arrival to this discussion. I've fallen in love with this tree and have purchased, online, three tiny seedlings which are currently in pots until they've settled in and grown a bit. I know they are very slow growers but I hope to see some blooms before I pass on to the great garden in the sky! And maybe introduce this tree to this area, where it should grow well. I am in zone 10a, southern California. We have our spectacular jacarandas here instead. We'll see how the plants do.
July 2019 - seedlings all failed but I have since planted a 4-ft sapling, see separate post.
This message was edited Jul 1, 2019 9:14 AM
Hi, Mildcat,
Did the Texas mountain laurels do well for you?
Hazel
Because the TML is poisonous, especially the seeds, I would not use as a houseplant where pets or children might touch or injest. Cats in particular are extremely sensitive and the toxicity symptoms are not confirmable by a vets blood test.
Keep it outside in a suburban environment far from grazing livestock.
Craftygardens, thanks for your information.
Here in Southern California, I planted a healthy 4-ft specimen from Monrovia in January 2018. That spring I had several blooms. No seedpods, but all the spent blooms grew flowerbuds for this year. Spring 2019 there were masses of blooms and now I have lots of nice fat seedpods - though only one flowerbud for next year. BUT.... the leaves are all now rather yellowish and don't look healthy. We have good drainage so I don't think that's the problem. The tree gets only 6 hours of sun a day, not ideal I know. I believe the leaves should be dark green. All input gratefully received.
I am so sorry to hear this. I need to research it a bit and will get back with you. One of my neighbor's mountain laurel's leaves were dying as shown in the photo below. I figured out that it had been hit by lightning that had struck the street light pole and arched out to the tree. Probably not the case in this situation.
Thank you, htop. No, thunder and lightning are pretty rare in these parts and there are lots of tall trees around so, as you say, unlikely to be the problem. The tree doesn't appear to be actually dying, it's just that the leaves are a yellowish green.
Mildcat, could this be the problem? Not the drainage, chlorosis (click on the link in the article.
https://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=8377
This message was edited Jul 15, 2019 11:51 PM
This message was edited Jul 15, 2019 11:52 PM
I posted earlier about my little tree, which had done well for its first year and flowered lavishly this spring, having a problem with progressively yellowing leaves. Turned out it was just a lack of water. I'm now watering it twice a week with a thin stream of water for half an hour, and the leaves have returned to a much healthier color. The tree is covered in huge fat seedpods, but only one flower spike for next spring. Have to hope I'm still around in 2021 to enjoy a better crop of flowers like this year's!
