Mountain Laurel

One of the hill country’s most beautiful and popular native trees is in bloom right now, the Texas Mountain Laurel. (Sophora secundiflora). Other names are “Mescal Bean” and “Frijollito.” The name Mescal Bean comes from the knowledge that the trees’ red seeds were at one time ground up and a small amount mixed with mescal, an alcoholic beverage. These beans have also been used in much earlier times as trade items and for inducing visions as well as for other purposes. According to Texas Trees, A Friendly Guide, “a strand of these beads 6 feet long was said to buy a small horse in areas to the north.” The fragrance of the purple flower heads is said to resemble that of grape Kool Aid. For some reason, I have never noticed this resemblance. I do know that the seeds are poisonous, so beware!

When I first moved here, I heard that the trees were very slow growing. For this reason, a good specimen in a nursery is fairly expensive. What I have experienced, however, is that they grow very easily from seeds and, if watered regularly, they grow surprisingly fast. I have simply thrown the seeds down my hillside, to land willy-nilly somewhere, and now I have a couple of dozen of them blooming quite nicely. Some are in shade and some in sun or part sun. Some growers recommend that the seeds be soaked overnight or pricked with a file to make them sprout more quickly. I have done both but still, mostly, I just toss them out somewhere. They seem a little difficult to transplant although several of my friends have done so quite successfully. One hint is to be sure to not disturb the root ball if at all possible.

What I do know for sure is that this is a beautiful, hardy, very drought resistant, native tree that will give you much pleasure for many, many years.

Written by Martha Knies