Sophora secundiflora     
Texas mountain laurel   
Fabaceae Family     

Sophora secundiflora

Form: multistemmed tree or shrub
Seasonality: evergreen
Size: 15-25ft, spread 5-15ft
Leaves: pinnately compound; 4-6in long, 3.5in wide, leaflets 1-2in long; glossy green on top, lighter underneath
Flowers: distinctive, showy; pendulous raceme of purple flowers, to 8in long; strong aroma (like grape kool-aide); short blooming period in spring
Fruit: pods containing 1-5 seeds; pod has green soft velvety coating, dries to tan/gray color; orange to red seeds are poisonous and very hard
Stems/Trunks: naturally multistemmed
Range/Origin: Texas and northern Mexico
Hardiness: to 10°F or lower

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

• residential scale tree
• outstanding flowers in early spring
• screening plant
• medians

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun, light shade when young
• Water: infrequent; okay on one irrigation per month
• Soil: tolerant, good drainage
• Propagation: seed, very hard seed, tricky to propagate
• Maintenance: moderate; pod cleanup, vulnerable to caterpillar damage; training if tree form desired

NOTES:

pendulous bloom of Sophora secundiflora

slow growing and therefore expensive, sometimes no growth is seen for the first year or two after transplanting

 

 

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This page was first created September 22, 2001 and last modified May 16, 2004.

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