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Plant Propagation

Texas Mountain Laurel

17 years ago

Hi everyone... I need help. I dear friend gave me seed pods from a tree she liked when in Vegas. They turn out to be from the Texas Mountain Laurel, Sophoria secundiflora. How would I propagate them? I figure it is the best time now in late spring, but this is New England and the plant is native to much warmer climates... Does it need a cool period? Wet period? Please help.

Thank you, DJ Faulkenham

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Comments (2)

sebastian
17 years ago
I found this (keep the seeds away from children and pets):

Re: Texas Mountain Laurel seeds
From: Reid
Category: Texas Native Plants
Date: 29 Dec 2001
Time: 18:47:36
Remote Name: 208.152.131.249

Comments
Growing a mtn. laurel from seed is not hard at all. Remove the seeds from the pods as soon as they are red and hard (anytime from mid-summer on)now the "trick" to getting them to germinate is to nick the seed, I just use a file to cut thru the seed coat till you just get to the white,not to much now you just need the seed to be able to take in water so it can start the germintion process. After I nick the seed I will soak them in water or better yet in some seaweed and water for a few hours (till I see the seed start to swell up) them all you have to do is plant your seeds about 1/2inch deep keep moist but not wet don't let them freeze (you will get more and faster results if your soil is warm)stand back and you should have young seedlings in no time at all. For more details you should look at Jill Nokes book how to grow native plants of texas and the southwest. good luck and have fun. Reid
little_dani
17 years ago
They grow wild here, and they do indeed germinate easily.

I must tell you that they grow fairly quickly when they are young, and slow considerable later.

The bloom is beautiful, purple, and smells like grape kool-aid.

Janie
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I am trespassing on the forum from central Texas Mountain Laurel grow wild on my land here and my land is alkaline caliche and limestone rubble. Limestone and caliche is their preferred soil in their native habitat.. They are slow growers at first, and then they get their feet in and they will grow at a quicker rate. I think they are developing their root system first and then they put on growth. When I grow them from seed, one has hardly anything but a root and a tiny sprout for the first year. I never water mine but we do get rain but my land drains very fast. We had 11 inches of rain for a couple of years and the bushes never noticed. They don't mind part shade here. I see them growing as an understory tree but they bloom better if they get some sun. God, that's an obvious statement. Everything blooms better with a little sun.
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These are so slow growing, it's often better to have a local nursery order the largest blooming size you can afford. They may hesitate if you're lower than hardiness zone 8, but worth checking with them. You might be able to order direct from Monrovia for delivery to a local nursery, but my experience has found it more dependable to have a willing manager at a local store they supply order it for you. If time is not an issue, seedlings are occasionally offered on ebay or Etsy (hidden among dozens of seed listings); though, these will be 3+ years from blooming depending upon the growing conditions you provide.
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kimivu: TML has a reputation for being difficult to transplant because transplanting a 5' tree tends to leave roots behind. The tree dedicated years to getting those roots established, and it resents having them disturbed/chopped off during the transplanting process. To optimize the procedure, dig deeply around the tree outside the drip line before attempting to lift the root ball. Years ago, I was part of a four-man crew that transplanted a six-footer. Once we had dug to 2' deep all around the tree, each of us used our shovels simultaneously to leverage the root ball out of the ground. I can't promise that we didn't leave any roots behind, but the tree survived in its new home. Back then, we weren't aware of the benefits of liquified seaweed when transplanting, so we used plain old tap water. Drenching the soil with 1 oz/1 gal seaweed once a week helps any species overcome transplantation shock, and you can use it any time of year. Despite these measures, if you notice any part of the transplanted tree suffering from stress, remove it to compensate for root loss. Finally, it takes a while for TML to recover and reestablish its roots, so you may not see any top growth for 2-3 years.
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