Shade - Texas Mountain Laurel

Texas Mountain Laurel is a striking purple hanging fragrant spring flowers. Large evergreen shrubs to small trees. Sometimes single trunks but most often are multi-trunked.  They are slow to moderate growing which means container grown plants are slower to gain size and stature. Once in the ground where roots can grow and develop, they will more quickly gain size. Immature foliage is made up of compound, shiny lime-green leaflets, turning darker green with maturity with white pubescence underneath. In spring drooping purple to violet-blue flowers appear that have a strong fragrance, some say grape soda or sweet cinnamon. Bees and humans alike are attracted to the color and fragrance. Flowers morph into fuzzy white peanut-like pods with reddish seeds which are poisonous that can be discarded when cracked open. In low deserts, they perform best with deep periodic watering, especially during summer.

Scientific name:  Sophora Secundiflora

Mature size:  up to 20 ft. high & wide

Sun:  Full sun