Texas Mountain Laurel
- Shipping Available
- In stock, ready to ship
Common names include Texas Mountain Laurel, Mountain Laurel, Mescal Bean, Mescal Bean Sophora, Frijolillo, Frijolito
Texas Mountain Laurel is a charming shrub or small tree that can grow anywhere from just a few feet up to over 30 feet tall. Its lush, dark green leaves are glossy and feature 7-9 leathery leaflets that are rounded at the tips and can reach up to 2 inches long, tapering gently toward the base. The stunning bluish lavender flowers are not only showy but also carry a delightful fragrance, blooming in lovely clusters of 3-7 that tend to droop gracefully. The fruit of this plant is a semi-woody pod, housing bright red seeds that are beautiful, but toxic if ingested.
This plant is quite popular as a native evergreen ornamental tree within its range, cherished for its striking, dark green foliage and vibrant blooms that bring joy in early spring. It’s drought-tolerant and thrives in rocky limestone soil. Texas Mountain Laurel is a woody plant that adapts to its rocky environment, growing at a steady pace. The fragrance of the flowers is pleasant, although it can be quite strong, wafting through the air for quite a distance from the plant. The fragrance of Texas mountain laurel blooms is often likened to the sweet aromas of grape-flavored products like Kool-Aid, grape bubble gum, and soft drinks.
The Mescal Beans or seeds of the Texas Mountain Laurel are a brilliant lacquer red and contain the highly toxic alkaloid cytisine (or sophorine), which is similar to nicotine. Indigenous Peoples have historically treasured these striking seeds for ornamentation and ceremonial purposes.
Nectar Source: Bees, Butterflies, Insects
Height: 15’-25’
Spread 8’-10’
Bloom: February-April
Light: Full Sun-Dappled Shade
Water: Low-Medium
Zone: 7-10
Origin: Texas, Southwestern U.S., Northern Mexico
Also scientifically known as Dermatophyllum secundiflorum
Spring Shipping:
Orders are shipped within 10-15 business days. We will email you if there are expected delays.
When you order plants from our nursery, you can expect them to arrive in the best possible condition. Our team carefully packs each order using sturdy, biodegradable packaging materials.
Your plants' appearance may vary depending on the season and their current growth stage. We may cut back the leafy growth of some plants to prepare them for shipment and transplanting.
5 Gallon and Up: Any plant purchased to ship over 5 Gallons will be shipped bare root. This means we will remove the plant from its original pot, remove the soil surrounding the roots, and wrap the roots with a biodegradable plastic bag. This reduces weight and the likelihood of damage during shipping.
Once your plants arrive, it is essential to plant them as soon as possible. This will help them rebound and thrive. If you cannot plant immediately, water regularly and keep the roots off heat-conducting surfaces.
Newly transplanted plants often require more water until their roots are well established. Plan to water them 1-3 times weekly for the first few months.
Pairs well with
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.5 / 5 from 24 reviews.
Planted it in the 5.5 soil in the yard.
Doing great.
The laurel has settled into its new home and even has some new growth.
I was out of town when it arrived and it seemed to of gone into shock when I transplanted it’s dropping its leaves but I blame myself I should of got to it quicker
I ordered 2, one came very nice and the other was packaged with paper on top which weighed down the taller branches. I contacted about the issue and disappointed with the help. Those branches never recovered and the tree did not survive. I've ordered smaller and cheaper plants before that some did not survive but this was not a cheap tree.
Love my tree arrived very healthy and it is doing very well. I highly Recommend this company, super responsive and high-quality at a great price.
These trees arrived in tact and so far they are doing well.
I received my Texas Mountain Laurel very quickly and it was in great shape.
I felt cheated by the size of trees that arrived. Ordered 5 gallon. Trees arrived not in pots but with roots wrapped in a plastic bag. Root ball was 2-3 inch wide and would fit in a 1 gallon pot easy. One tree arrived badly damaged with broken stems. Would not purchase again.
Arrived in good shape. Planted a couple of days later. Doing well so far.
Plant arrived very heathy and doing well after being planted
Great customer service and my tx mountain laurel arrived looking great!
Bought this for a friend who recently lost her sister. It came in perfect condition and she loved it so much, definitely worth the purchase. It was so beautiful I plan to buy something for me this time around!
The Texas Mountain Laurels were shipped and delivered promptly and were very well packed. They are in the ground and hoping for great spring weather to kick off the next growing season. Great customer service.
Great service and packaged very well!
Love it!
Arrived safe and sound... looks healthy... so far, so good! Thank you!
Unfortunately the root ball was very loose. I did my best to remove it carefully (cut the pot with a razor first) but it still promptly started to die. I’m hoping it may have a comeback but after a week it looks worse
The plant arrived quickly and in beautiful shape. I really appreciate that the team reached out to me to confirm my preferred shipping date given a predicted local freeze.
My mom loved her new Mountain Laurel! I will definitely be using y’all again for my plant neeeds!!!
The tree seemed to arrive in good condition but has struggled to take root (in very good tree soil) and is browning out, even with the right amount of watering. I am hopeful it makes it as it is a lovely tree when fully grown.
Lovely plants at an affordable cost. Staff was helpful & knowledgeable.
This arrived, beautifully healthy, and green. We are excited to plant it!
The plant is adapting well
