Texas Kidneywood
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Also known as Texas Kidneywood, Kidneywood, Bee Brush, Vara Dulce, Palo Dulce
Texas kidneywood is an unarmed, much-branched shrub, 3-10 ft. with tall, open, airy structure and gland-dotted, aromatic, resinous leaves and flowers. Its 3-4 in. spikes of white flowers are fragrant, as are the deciduous, finely divided leaves. Leaves up to 3 1/2 inches long, consisting of a central axis and as many as 40 small leaflets, each about 1/4 inch long, aromatic when crushed. Flowers are white, small, delicate fragrances arranged in spikes up to 4 1/2 inches long at the ends of branchlets, appearing intermittently from May to October—fruit a pod about 3/8 inch long, often with a threadlike tip. Seed pods are persistent.
This tree and its relative, the more westerly E. orthocarpa, were once used in remedies for kidney and bladder ailments, hence the name.
Kidneywood foliage has a pungent, citrusy smell. Bees flock to the ambrosial flowers, which bloom intermittently through the warm months. The Dogface butterfly also eats kidneywood as larval food. You can create a small tree with proper pruning. May temporarily lose leaves during a dry spell. Drought-tolerant.
Butterfly Host Plant: Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia); Arizona Skipper (Codatractus arizonensis)
Height: 8'-10'
Spread: 6’-8'
Bloom: April-October
Light: Full Sun, Part Shade
Water: Low
Zone: 8, 9, 10, 11
Origin: Texas
Winter Shipping: We will continue to ship throughout winter. If you prefer, we are happy to hold your order until spring; please include that request in your shipping notes.
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.
