Texas mountain laurel
Dermatophyllum secundiflorum (Ortega) Gandhi & Reveal
Also called mescal bean. Synonyms: Sophora secundiflora, Calia secundiflora.
Slow evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy leaflets and grape-scented violet flower clusters in early spring.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 3–4.5 m (10–15 ft) tall and 2.4–3 m (8–10 ft) wide; slow growth, about 10 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.12) from the #3 install size.
Bloom
Violet flowers, Mar–Apr (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas mountain laurel : Mar–Apr |
Design notes
- Seeds are highly toxic; avoid where children play.
- Genista caterpillars can defoliate it in spring — usually recovers.
Regions
Native range: Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Texas mountain laurel
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.