Texas Mountain Laurel
Dermatophyllum secundiflorum
Family: Fabaceae
OTHER NAMES
mescalbean, neclacepod
CHARACTERISTICS
Small evergreen tree (or large shrub) to 15’. Grape-like clusters of deep purple, nectar rich flowers (they smell like grape bubblegum) appear in spring and sometimes reappear again during monsoon.
LANDSCAPE USE
Screening large shrub or small tree.
GROWING CONDITIONS
AN EXPLANAITION OF TERMS USED
SUN full to part sun
WATER moderate to low
SOIL well-drained soil is a must—avoid tight clay soils
HARDINESS hardy to about 10°F
BASIN high zone
CONTAINER cranky in containers
NUTRITION low to moderate
MAINTENANCE don’t freak out when the genista broom moth makes the plant look ugly for a minute—the foliage will grow back and look better than before. As the tree gets older this damage is less extensive or noticeable
Photo of Dermatophyllum secundiflorum by mbirney1 on iNaturalist
ECOLOGY
Nectar rich flowers (they smell like grape bubblegum) appear in spring and attract nectar-loving insects. Larval host for genista broom moth (Uresiphita reversalis).
ETHNOBOTANY
Plants have been known to be used in ceremonies—alkaoids present in the beans are psychoactive, though dangerous. Seeds have been used as beads—a few poisonings have been reported from this use due to people sucking on the beads.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Native to canyons, roadsides, hillsides, often in limestone areas; up to 5,000 ft. in the southwestern United States (Texas, New Mexico) and Mexico (Chihuahua and Coahuila south to Hidalgo, Puebla and Querétaro).
TAXONOMY AND NAME
This species is in the Fabaceae, the legume family. There are 6 species native to southwestern North America from western Texas to New Mexico and Arizona in the United States, and south through Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Nuevo León in northern Mexico..
Formerly known as Sophora secundiflora.
Dermatophyllum seems to mean “skinlike-leaf” perhaps related to the smoothness of the foliage. The species name refers to the sometimes second flush of blooms.
Dermatophyllum secundiflorum on iNaturalist
Dermatophyllum secundiflorum on Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
The flowers smell distinctively like grape Koolaide, photo by lucio101, iNaturalist
Some plants have white flowers instead, photo by plateauville, iNaturalist
The woody pods, photo by Hayden LaBarr, iNaturalist
The seeds are bright red. Photo by Angelique Todd, iNaturalist
For some reason, this species is prone to fasciation on the flowers, photo by David Tripp, iNaturalist