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Monday - March 07, 2016

From: Schertz, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Container Gardens, Propagation, Shrubs
Title: Growing Texas mountain laurel in a pot
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

I have a really good friend who Mom pass away just recently and they were the best of friends. She loved her mother dearly and did tons of stuff together. Recently I posted a picture of a Mountain Laurel tree in full bloom and it brought back good memories for her since her mom LOVED these trees. My friend lives in St. Martinsville, LA and I would love to be able to give her one as a gift. I read they can grow in pots, do you think it would do well in her area in a large pot? Thank you so much for your time. Sincerely, Elizabeth Pagiotas

ANSWER:

Yes, Sophora secundiflora (Texas mountain laurel) should grow in a large container in Louisiana. I have seen two specimens growing in about 20 gallon containers for several years. They haven't had a lot of blooms, and I suspect they would be more at home in an even larger pot. Texas mountain laurel plants growing in the ground send down a tap root deep into the soil. This is why they they can survive drought in rocky, semi-arid locations. Even under the best of conditions they grow slowly.