Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Texas Mountain Laurel
Texas mountain laurel is a slow-growing evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy, dark green leaves. In early spring it hangs clusters of purple flowers that smell like grape soda, and bees and hummingbirds come to them. It takes full sun and heat and grows 10 to 15 feet tall over many years. It is thornless and drops little litter, so it works near a patio.
Best for: a small, clean patio tree, early spring color and fragrance, and an evergreen screen or hedge.
It is thornless and drops little litter, so it fits beside a patio or courtyard. Remove low branches over the years to train it into a small multi-trunk tree about 10 to 15 feet tall.
Purple flower clusters open in early spring with a strong grape soda scent. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visit them. Plant it near a patio, where you catch the scent.
Its dense, dark green leaves stay on all year and make an informal hedge or background screen. Plant it 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center, and leave it unsheared.
It grows slowly, only a few inches a year, and hard pruning sets it back for a long time. Genista caterpillars can strip leaves, so knock them off or spray Bt. The seeds are poisonous, so pick off pods where kids or pets play.
- Hedge or screen8-12 ft apart, center to center
- Small trees in a row8-12 ft apart, center to center
For the first two weeks, water a new plant every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Then space the waterings out a little at a time as it roots in. Keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years.
Once rooted, soak the root ball deeply every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter. Water at the drip line, not the trunk.
It needs little pruning overall. Never shear it; if needed, remove single stems lightly and raise the lower branches only now and then.
Take off the nursery stake at planting. Stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball with soft, wide ties, and remove them after about a year.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
When does Texas mountain laurel bloom?
It blooms in early spring. The flower buds form the late summer before, so avoid pruning after the bloom season or you cut off next year's flowers.
Do the flowers really smell like grape soda?
Yes. The purple clusters have a sweet grape scent, a lot like grape Kool-Aid. Plant it near a patio to enjoy it.
How big does it get?
Over many years it reaches about 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide. Give it room, and plant hedges 8 to 12 feet apart.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly, only a few inches a year. More water speeds it up a little, and a bigger nursery size saves years of waiting.
How often should I water it?
For the first two weeks, water new plants every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Then space the waterings out as they root in. Once rooted, give it a deep soak every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and about monthly in fall and winter.
What is eating the leaves?
Genista caterpillars are the usual cause. They feed on leaves, young twigs and seed pods, mostly in spring. Hose them off or pick them off, and use Bt, a spray that only affects caterpillars, for bad outbreaks. The plant grows back from the damage.
When should I prune it?
Only lightly, right after it blooms in spring. Next year's flower buds form in late summer, and it is slow to recover from heavy cuts.
Is it poisonous?
Yes. The seeds are poisonous, and all parts of the plant are toxic. The seed pods are hard to crack, but pick them off where kids or pets play.
Does it need full sun?
It does best in full sun, at least 6 hours a day, and it tolerates part shade. More sun means more flowers.
Is it cold hardy?
Yes. It is rated to about 10°F, so Valley winters are no problem.
Does it need fertilizer?
You can skip it, since it grows well in rocky, well-drained desert soil without feeding. It is a slow grower.
Does Texas mountain laurel attract hummingbirds and bees?
Yes. Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and moths all visit the purple spring flowers.
Texas Mountain Laurel for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Texas mountain laurel is an evergreen shrub or small tree grown across the Valley for its grape-scented purple flowers in early spring. It takes heat and full sun, grows slowly and stays tidy. This page answers the questions people ask most, from watering and pruning to caterpillars and size.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
When does Texas mountain laurel bloom in Phoenix?
It blooms in early spring. The buds form the late summer before, so pruning after late summer cuts off next year's flowers.
Genista caterpillars on Texas mountain laurel
These caterpillars feed on the leaves, young twigs and seed pods, mostly in spring. Hose them off or pick them off, and spray Bt for bad outbreaks. The plant regrows from the damage.
Pruning Texas mountain laurel
Prune lightly right after bloom. It recovers slowly from heavy cuts. Raise the low branches over time to train it into a small tree.
Watering Texas mountain laurel in Phoenix
Water new plants every few days, then about weekly through the first year. Established plants do best with a deep soak about weekly in summer and about monthly in fall and winter.
How far apart to plant Texas mountain laurel
Plant them about 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center, for a hedge, screen or row of small trees. The Spacing tab counts plants for you.
Is Texas mountain laurel poisonous?
Yes. The seeds are poisonous and all parts are toxic. The seeds sit inside hard pods, but pick the pods off where kids or pets play.
How big and how fast?
It grows slowly, a few inches a year, to about 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide. A larger nursery size gets you flowers and height sooner.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.