These flowers eventually give way to thick seed pods containing bright orange seeds that, while beautiful, are very poisonous and should be kept away from children and pets. The fruit of Texas Mountain Laurel appears in a semi-woody, felty, gray pod which ages to dark brown when the seeds are ready to be planted. Plants are easily transplanted from the wild, and though they are slow growing, are extremely hardy. If you discover your tree is not blooming come spring, it is likely the flower spikes were pruned off. Rainfall should be enough, except in times of severe drought. The lacquer-like orange, red, or even maroon seed shells are beautiful and were prized by Native Americans for decorating clothing and ceremonial uses. Mountain Laurel poisoning: The mountain laurel is a large evergreen shrub which bears clusters of small flowers. Texas Hill Country Facebook page is growing by over 1,000 fans per Texas Mountain Laurel Care As long as you live in the right climate, growing Texas mountain laurels is … if (theYear < 1900) Be careful to not disturb the root ball if you transplant one. The Mountain Laurel seed was a commodity that was much sought after by Native Americans. A native to Mexico, New Mexico and the Hill Country of Texas, Calia secundiflora is easily adapted to high temperatures, alkaline soils and intense sunshine. Mountain laurel is a small, evergreen tree or shrub, that can grow to 30 feet tall. of all manners. Keep away from children and pets to be safe! Texas Mountain Laurels are slow growers with dark green, glossy, compound leaves and drooping clusters of purply-blue flowers. Seedlings grow slowly for the first two years, so don’t be in a rush! Texas Mountain Laurels are not bothered by many pests; however, the Genista moth larvae can decimate the foliage on a full-grown tree in a few days. My dog ate a mountain laurel seed, which is toxic to dogs. Insecticides containing Spinosad formulations are useful for larger caterpillars or heavy infestations and some formulations are registered as organic. We are your resource for Hill Country travel, things to do, places to eat, You will love it! If you want to attempt a head start, cuttings from young trees may root as well. However, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators love their nectar! The seeds inside the extremely hard shell contain an alkaloid known as cytisine or sophorine, which is highly poisonous if swallowed. Sophora, Texas mountain laurel, mescal bean, coral bean, Frijollito Botanic Name Sophora secundiflora Plant Family Fabaceae Habitat Dry limestone soils of canyons Distribution Native to Texas, New Mexico, Mexico and the Southwest. However, don’t let that take away from the joy the Texas Mountain Laurel will bring. Flowers range from dark violet to bluish-lavender to, rarely, white and waft a powerful, sweet, grape fragrance over considerable distances. Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory, Texas A&M College of Agrculture and Life Sciences, Denton County Master Gardener Association, DCMGA Logo Clothing and Replacement Badges, Logos and Public Communications Requirements. Wouldn’t you like that luscious scent in your garden? You can separate the seeds from the pod and store in a cool, dry place. These have a longer residual on the plant than Bt. document.write(theYear) Texas Native Plants Database Mountain Laurel, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Mountain Laurel, Mountain Laurel, Mescalbean The Virtual Museum of Texas’ Cultural Heritage (a branch of The University of Texas at Austin, College of Liberal Arts). The plant contains chemicals (andromedotoxin, arbutin) which can cause poisoning symptoms if eaten. Texas Hill Country. Blooms February-April; inch-wide violet blue flowers are grouped together in 4-8 inch clusters. They made for beautiful adornments to clothing, had medicinal value, and ceremonial value. The plant is considered highly toxic if ingested. We also print a beautiful, one of a kind Do you remember grape-flavored Kool-Aid or grape lollipops? You will still see Texas mountain laurel referred to as S. secundiflora or C. secundiflora in some places. After all, they are the state flower and are a glorious sight to see in full bloom. theYear=theYear+1900 Eating too much of the bean is deadly. Texas Mountain Laurel is a native evergreen shrub that can be trained as a multi-trunked small tree. In zones colder than Zone 8, flowering is not reliable because of late freezes which damage the buds. A yellow dye can also be made from the sapwood. Bluebonnets get a lot of attention this time of year, and rightfully so! Hill Country It is almost hard to believe that the mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia, which grows comfortably in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 to 9) carries within it a deadly poison. theYear=now.getYear() The bloom clusters can be 3″ to 7″ long, appearing in February into March, and are very showy, but they are poisonous if ingested. Both seeds and flowers are quite poisonous and contain narcotic properties. Crafted with <3 | Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. The butterflies and bees love the fragrant flowers, and the evergreen leaves keep the winter garden interesting when all other trees and shrubs have lost their leaves. Texas Mountain Laurels are slow growers with dark green, glossy, compound leaves and drooping clusters of purply-blue flowers. They are worth the wait! Honey. Collect the seeds in mid- to late summer when the pods have dried and darkened and the seeds are bright red, although it is all right to leave the seed pods on the tree over winter, harvesting and planting the next spring when the soil is warm. However, there is another Texas gem that blooms this time of year and yet gets little attention in comparison. Bt has a short residual time on a plant, so it may be necessary to spray repeatedly to destroy an infestation. The Texas Mountain Laurel is a popular plant because of its purple flowers and artificial grape smell. Texas mountain laurel seed is very poisonous and has a very hard seed coat. 24 Plants That Can Kill Your Puppy. 1 - 2) of Texas Laurel Mountain Seeds that had fallen into our yard. The plant contains grayanotoxin, a toxin that binds to sodium channels in cell membranes and changes the permeability. However, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators love their nectar! 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