Texas Mountain Laurel: How to Grow this Desert Favorite
Texas Mountain Laurel is one of my favorite small trees for desert landscapes. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow Texas Mountain Laurel successfully, this guide will walk you through the basics. Native to south-central and western Texas, New Mexico, and parts of Mexico, it’s a hardy plant with gorgeous purple blooms every spring. The flowers have a sweet scent that’s unmistakably like grape Kool-Aid —does anyone even drink that anymore?
The blooms are beautiful, and bees love them. Plant your Texas Mountain Laurel somewhere you can see and enjoy it. It grows slowly, requires minimal care, and naturally forms multiple trunks, making it a smart addition to your garden.
How to Grow Texas Mountain Laurel
Choosing the Right Spot: Find a sunny area. It tolerates full sun, and more sun = more blooms. Texas Mountain Laurel does best in alkaline, rocky, or limestone-rich soil with good drainage.
Spacing: Allow about 10 feet between plants. However, you can space more closely if you want to form a hedge with these tough plants.
When to Plant: The best time to plant is in the fall. Fall planting gives the tree time to establish roots before the summer. Spring planting also works, but be prepared to water a bit more frequently as temperatures rise.
Planting Tips: Dig a hole slightly larger than the container. Carefully remove the plant, taking care not to overly disturb its roots, and position it so the soil level matches that of the original container. Fill in with native soil, gently pressing to remove air pockets, and water thoroughly to settle the roots.
Consider planting perennial herbs like rosemary or lavender nearby. They share similar growing requirements — plenty of sun, well-draining soil, and minimal watering once established.
Be sure to check out my growing guides for rosemary, lavender, and perennial herbs in hot climates, as well as a guide to another slow-growing tree: bay laurel. These companion plants help highlight the natural beauty of Texas Mountain Laurel.
Caring for Your Texas Mountain Laurel
Watering: Water more frequently during the first year or two. After that, it requires only occasional watering during extended dry periods. I have mine on my shrub drips, and they get water about once a month in the winter and as often as once a week in the summer. If you want the tree to grow more quickly, give it more water.
Pruning: This slow-growing plant eventually reaches about 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide, often forming multiple trunks naturally. Prune lower branches if you prefer a more traditional tree form, but overall, pruning needs are minimal beyond basic shaping and removing damaged branches.
Managing Pests (the Organic Way)
Genista Broom Moth larvae show up like clockwork every spring on Texas Mountain Laurel. These caterpillars feed on leaves, twigs, and seed pods and can look pretty shocking! On larger, established trees, they typically come and go without causing much harm but check young trees frequently.
Remove the caterpillars by hand or blast them off with a hose. If an infestation becomes severe, treat with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), an organic solution that specifically targets caterpillars and doesn’t harm beneficial insects.
A Quick Safety Note
The tree produces seed pods with toxic orange seeds. The pods are hard and difficult to open but to be safe, remove and discard them if you have young children or pets.
Landscape Beauty and Versatility
Texas Mountain Laurel works perfectly as a focal point, informal hedge, or privacy screen, thanks to its dense evergreen foliage and stunning springtime blooms. It’s the type of plant you’ll love having around — low-maintenance, visually striking, and attractive to pollinators. Once you’ve learned how to grow Texas Mountain Laurel in your yard, you’ll see why it’s become a go-to choice for many gardeners. Enjoy its fragrant purple blooms and the low-maintenance beauty it brings.
Source: Mielke, Judy. Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes. University of Texas Press, Austin, 1993.
A word of caution about this beautiful plant — every part of it is toxic. The pods look a lot like peanuts and those red seeds are eye-catching which might be tempting for small children. It’s not a plant I would have if I had curious children or pets.