Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Thursday - January 02, 2003
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Propagation
Title: How to Propagate Mountain Laurel by Seed
Answered by: Stephen Brueggerhoff
QUESTION:
How do I propagate mountain laurel by seed?ANSWER:
The seed of Mountain Laurel (taxonomic name: Sophora secundiflora (mescal bean) requires scarification to ensure germination. This can be performed by "knicking" the seed coat with a knife, or uniformly abrading the seed-coat with sandpaper. Combine this with boiling some water, then letting it cool to a warm temperature and soaking the scarified seed overnight. Jill Nokes, author of "How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest", recommends: "Pretreated seeds will germinate within two weeks in a greenhouse or outdoors after the soil has warmed". She also suggests accommodating the long initial root with a longer container, as well as utilizing a well-draining media. She advises that the plants do not transplant well from the flat and are also sensitive to overhead watering. Make sure that you place the seedlings (or pre-treated seed) in an area that receives direct sunlight to encourage strong, upright growth.
From the Image Gallery
More Propagation Questions
Propagating Dakota vervain (Glandularia binpinnatifida)
August 07, 2008 - Dakota Vervain.
We recently moved into a new house in Henly--Hays/Blanco county line. Mother nature was kind enough to provide us w/Dakota Vervain in some of our planting beds while we are getting...
view the full question and answer
Propagation of poinsettias in water from Houston
September 06, 2013 - Pointsettias - we have a broken branch that is thriving in a jar of water with new leaves and additional small branches. When we plant the stem in dirt and even a muck, the growth starts to wither.
...
view the full question and answer
Native plants for sale end of April in Schertz TX
February 13, 2009 - I am trying to raise some native plants for a fund-raiser .They need to be salable by the end of April. Something with flowers would be nice. Any suggestions?
view the full question and answer
Tall Evergreens for Pennsylvania
January 06, 2011 - I want to plant tall evergreen trees that grow really tall in deep shade or that I can plant already fairly large and withstand the shock of planting in a mature state and live in deep shade. I thank ...
view the full question and answer
Gathering seeds of Indian Blanket from Duncanville TX
June 09, 2012 - We have a field full of Indian Blanket that are blooming now and would like to share some seeds with our friends! Where is the seed on them and I take it we wait till they are done blooming to get the...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |