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Kidneywood

Eysenhardtia texana

Other common name(s):

Texas Kidneywood, Bee Brush, Vara Dulce, Palo Dulce

Family:

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Limestone Cut Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

8
to
15
ft.

Spread

6
to
8
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Caliche, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Very Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Forage, Nectar, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Deer, Bees

Maintenance

Prune for shape, to remove suckers or to trim up into mini-tree form. Propagation: Seed, Softwood , Semi-hardwood cuttings.

Comments

Blooms April-October. Fast growing, much-branched shrub with open, airy foliage. Deciduous, finely divided leaves produce a pungent, citrusy smell when crushed. Flowers white, small, with a delicate fragrance. Bees love the flowers, which bloom at intervals through the warm months. May temporarily lose leaves during a dry spell. Larval Host: Dogface Butterfly.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Eysenhardtia angustifolia

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 289. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=EYTE. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=11058&locationType=County&mapType=Normal., 5) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014, 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=26682#null

Get in Touch

Contact the State

Contact a local Chapter

State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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