Dermatophyllum secundiflorum
The intoxicating aroma of Texas pile Stan Laurel is enough to get driver to slam on the brake or dog walkers to abruptly block unretentive , giving poor Fido whiplash .
Famed boob tube chef Emeril Lagasse used to lament the non - invention of “ olfactory modality - o - vision . ” I wish for “ look - group O - web site ” so I could share with you the celestial scent bring forth by the pretty purple peak of these shrubs .
Even better , this is one of those plants that disperses its perfume several feet ; I can smack my neighbors ’ plant ’s blooms from across the street .
Kalmia latifolia, a member of the heather family is also called “mountain laurel.”
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Some liken the odour to grape Kool - Aid , sal soda , or gum tree , but the fragrance is cryptic , robust , and more floral than the artificial scent of processed food .
Read on to see more !
Kalmia latifolia, a member of the heather family is also called “mountain laurel.”
What You’ll Learn
What Is Texas Mountain Laurel?
Texas mountain bay wreath ’s glossy , drab dark-green leave are evergreen and leathery . The prominent clusters – as long as six inches – of showy prime come along in early spring , and sadly , bloom for just a few weeks before withering and learn their aroma away .
Though these slow - growing plant can be restrain pruned to a shrub size , most often they are allowed to senesce into small treelike forms 10 feet wide and 15 feet gamy , multi- or single - trunked .
onetime specimen in their raw home ground can reach 30 to 50 animal foot magniloquent at maturity .
But the breathtaking nosegay is just one of the appeal of this Texas native , which is intrepid toUSDA Hardiness Zone7b .
This plant has several common - name assumed name , including coral bean , spicy bean , mescal bean , mescal bean sophora , frigolito , frijollito , frijolillo , coral bonce , big - intoxicated edible bean , and colorin .
Some of these are reflective of the industrial plant ’s native territory , which in add-on to primal , southerly , and western Texas , also includes New Mexico and northern Mexico .
But , Texas being Texas , we had to stamp it with our own name , of course .
Previously known interchangeably asSophora secundifloraandCalia secundiflora , recent phylogenetic study have lead to the reclassification of sealed member of theSophoragenus intoDermatophyllum – a taxonomic equivalent word forCalia .
You will still see Texas passel laurel bring up to asS. secundifloraorC. secundiflorain some billet .
Lovely as they are , the flowers of Texas mountain laurel are toxic to human beings and animal , as are the plant ’s seed seedcase and leaf . The seed – called mescal bean – are a pretty orangish - red gloss and are sometimes used as necklace beads .
Cultivation and History
A nimble note : those of us here in Texas understand there ’s another plant that call itself “ mountain laurel . ” Nevertheless , our laurel is unrelated toKalmia latifolia , a member of the heather family , Ericaceae , whereas ours is in thepea family , Fabaceae .
Toxic mescal noggin were used ceremonially by autochthonal hoi polloi of the fundamental and Southern plains tribes for their psychoactive attribute . Evidence of their use can be found in numerous archeologic site in Texas and Mexico , and shows that these cultures also used the colourful seed decoratively .
The mescal bean contain a number of venomous quinolizidine alkaloids , let in cystine , a soporific alkaloid with a similar molecular structure to that of nicotine .
However , in spite of the name , they do not arrest the hallucinogenic alkaloid peyote , regain in the mezcal cactus . Nor should they be confused with the alcohol-dependent beverage mezcal , which is made from the agave industrial plant .
Propagation
These plants grow easy , so if you ’re looking for an immediate assertion in the landscape painting , you might reckon purchase a well - establish specimen in a bombastic container from a local nursery .
Texas mess laurel does not propagate well from cuttings .
However , if you ’re patient , you could grow a Texas quite a little laurel from seed .
From Seed
Seeds that fall from the industrial plant can take years to germinate , as they have extremely grueling shells . But a few tricks may allow dissipated results , if you ’d like to grow some seedlings for transplant into the garden .
If you ’re pull in seeds , pick the pod when they ’re still mostly green but just depart to move around gray . The seed will be pale pink and their shells will be relatively diffuse .
Sow these in gallon - sized containers with holes in the bottom fill with well - debilitate potting mix . Water often .
Alternatively , you may direct inseminate in the garden . immerse the seed about half an inch deep .
And be patient .
If someone pass you some hard , older pods , soak them in water supply to make it easier to break them apart and get at the seed . With both donated and purchase seeds , chances are they ’re more matured . You ’ll have to scarify them before constitute , as they have super hard cuticle .
As you would with sunrise glories , scratch them up with a knife , for good example , or apply sandpaper .
you’re able to try soaking the seeds in warm body of water for two to three days , changing the weewee regularly to keep it half-hearted . This approach appears to exercise best if you first make a small slice in the elusive out eggshell .
However you found your ejaculate , water them daily for the first couple of months , then about once a week for another class .
From Seedlings or Transplants
When transfer into the ground , mix some surplus calcium into the filth at the planting land site to aid plants get established .
travail a hole slimly crowing than the beginning chunk , then carefully place the base ball into the hole , and backfill with planting site dirt .
Mature Texas mountain laurels have a deep root organisation , and they do not transplant well once establish .
How to Grow Texas Mountain Laurel
Texas great deal laurel wreath opt alkaline , well - enfeeble rocky soils , admit those that hold limestone . They ’ll do well in clay , loam , and sand , and will stomach being planted in or near turf .
pick out a planting website in an area that gets full Dominicus . D. secundiflorumwill also permit light shade for part of the day .
Once established , these drought - large-minded shrubs require little to no irrigation .
They also do perfectly well with no dressing , but in surface area with very piteous soil you may lend a small amount of abalanced plant food such as NPK 10 - 10 - 10 in spring .
Growing Tips
Pruning
There is no actual need to prune Texas mountain laurel . But if you require to change its strain , say , into more of a traditional tree shape , or into a more compact bush , you could do so .
Keep in mind that the blossoms only appear on yr - older woods . So while you might be tempted to prune during winter quiescency , this might result in less abundant blooms .
An alternative pruning clock time is in the summer , after it has end up flowering . When the brutal heating strikes , like many of us , these plants will go dormant .
Prune no more than one - third of the plant at a prison term . First prune out any deadwood . Then cut out fragile , spindly branches . There ’s no need to use pruning paint .
To encourage peak , lop out lower branches and leave just one , two , or three bole . For a more bush - like appearance , trim the upper branch .
Where to Buy Texas Mountain Laurel
If you ’re take care for hot industrial plant , you may often rule them in garden shopping center and industrial plant nurseries in areas where they typically thrive .
purchase germ online can be a bit dispatch or pretermit , as they may not always be viable .
Managing Pests and Disease
have ’s start with the good tidings . Deer leave this one alone , so nothing to worry about there .
The bad news is that this plant is plagued byUresiphita reversalis , aka genista caterpillar or sephora worm .
This lily-livered - bodied immature moth can discase the leaves off a Texas great deal Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel in no metre flat , though the foliation almost always farm back and the plant suffer no lasting impairment .
The caterpillars form loose webbing on the plants they ’re eradicate .
check these one - inch - foresighted snackers withBacillus thuringiensis .
Best Uses for Texas Mountain Laurel
Texas mountain laurel makes a lovely specimen tree or bush , which is primarily how I see them grown in Austin .
you may also create a tall filmdom with these , by implant several in a row and letting them bush out .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
A Rose of a Different Name
Gardeners looking for a tough evergreen tree or shrub that perfume the air each bound with a flowered scent that stops dealings should conceive Texas spate Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel .
stinking soil ? No rain for weeks ? Hungry deer ? No job . D. secundiflorumtakes it all and comes out smelling like a … crank of grape Kool - Aid ?
If you ’d wish to learn more about growingother bush , check out these clause :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . in the first place published January 23rd , 2020 . Last updated April 13th , 2023 . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Gretchen Heber
