Suggesting a flowering tree for a winter selection when most of the country is in a state of snow and ice may seem counter-intuitive. However, this is the best time of the year to plant a tree on the Edwards Plateau. A temperate sun encourages the roots of young plants to become established, and spring rains are just around the corner. And the Texas Mountain Laurel beckons.
Texas Mountain Laurel, often sold as Sophora secundifloras, definitely defies winter and throws the window open for spring. Heady cascades of grape scented blossoms drape against a backdrop of shiny dark green foliage from the end of February into early April. A small multi-trunked evergreen it will fit in an entry courtyard or help screen an undesirable view when grown. A slightly alkaline soil serves it well
Typically Texas Mountain Laurel is found on slopes, between 1,000 and 5,000 feet in south-central and western Texas, New Mexico, and southward in Mexico to San Luis Potosí. It is a drought-tolerant tree that thrives in hot summers with plenty of bright sunlight. An added incentive: deer put this plant at the very bottom of their list of palatable plants.
Six local nurseries are featuring this N.I.C.E. Plant of the Season.
- Blue Oak Trading Company, 1834 Junction Highway, Kerrville, 830-315-2583
- Natives of Texas, 4256 Medina Highway, Kerrville, 830-896-2169
- Plant Haus 2, 604 Jefferson Street, Kerrville, 830-792-4444
- The Gardens at The Ridge, 13439 S. Ranch Road 783 (Harper Rd.), Kerrville, 830-896-0430
- Friendly Natives, 1107 N. Llano Street, Fredericksburg, 830-997-6288
- Medina Garden Nursery, 13417 TX Highway 16, Medina, 830-589-2771
Look for the “NICE Plant of the Season” logo stake: (As you explore, you’ll find other beautiful Native plants also.)
