Sophora secundiflora

Texas Mountain Laurel, Mescal Bean

Shrub or Tree

Slow-growing small evergreen tree is deep green. Remains shrub size for many years.

Temperature

Hardy to cold and tolerates heat.

Water requirements

Drought tolerant when established. Best with moderate irrigation. Accepts occasional deep waterings.

Sun

Part to full or reflected sun. Grows fastest with high heat.

Soil

Tolerant; thrives in alkaline soil but requires good drainage.

Maintenance

None to periodic pruning and training, especially to develop it into a mature tree. Do not prune tips before flowering.

Disadvantages

Poisonous seeds. Carpenter bees love flowers. Slow to develop. Sometimes attacked by defoliating caterpillars. Expensive to buy because of slow growth.

Bloom

Purple, wisteria-like spring blooms. Smell like grape bubble gum.

Fruit or Seeds

Silver-gray seedpods produce extremely hard, bright red, poisonous seeds. Seeds sometimes drilled and strung for decoration.

Uses

Specimen, mass, hedge or row. Espalier. Silhouette against structures. Shrub with spreading branches or upright, short-trunk tree for patio, lawn or median strip. Pool areas.

Origin

Native to Chihuahuan Desert (Texas, New Mexico and northern Mexico); member of the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family

Cultivars

There is a silver-leafed variety.

Themes

Desert Grassland, Desert, Desert Transitional, Tropical, Fragrant, Pool Area

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