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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

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.

Search Smarty Plants

See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

rate this answer

6 ratings

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

Texas mountain laurel
Sophora secundiflora