How to Plant Mountain Laurel Tree From Seeds
Mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) is also known as Texas mountain laurel, mescal bean and frijolillo. It is a slow-growing evergreen tree that is indigenous to North America. What makes mountain laurel a striking addition to any garden are its clusters of purple-blue, fragrant flowers that appear in spring. Mountain laurel grows to 15 to 20 feet and is hardy in the USDA zones 7B through 10A. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Mountain laurel seed pods
- Paper bag
- Nail file, knife or sandpaper
- Ceramic or metal bowl
- Fungicide
- Tree pots
- Growing media
- Shallow bowl or cookie sheet
Instructions
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1
Collect seed pods from a mountain laurel tree in the fall. Look for pods that are gray-brown in color and partially dry. You can also use fresh seeds collected in the spring. Proceed to Step 5 if using fresh seeds.
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2
Separate the mountain laurel seeds from the pods. Place the seeds into a paper bag until you are ready to plant them. Store the bag where it is dry and cool.
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3
Nick, file or cut off a small section of the seed coat on each of the mountain laurel seeds. This is necessary to break through the very hard seed coat.
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4
Place the mountain laurel seeds into a small ceramic or metal bowl. Soak the seeds in warm water overnight, as suggested by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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5
Place the soaked seeds onto paper towels to dry for one to two hours. Dust each of the mountain laurel seeds with an all-purpose powder fungicide to prevent any fungal diseases which can kill seedlings.
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6
Fill up 14-inch-deep tree pots that have been thoroughly cleaned with a sterilized growing media. (Tree pots are necessary to accommodate the long tap root of mountain laurel trees.) Place the growing media on a cookie sheet, or into a bowl, and place into a 300-degree pre-heated oven for 30 minutes if the growing media is not sterilized.
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7
Poke 1/2-inch-deep holes in each of the pots. Place one mountain laurel seed into each of the pots. Cover up the seeds with half of the growing media.
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8
Place the pots into an area in your home where they will be provided maximum light. Keep the growing media moist but do not water so often the soil becomes sodden. You can also place the pots outside in a sheltered location in your garden if all chance of frost has passed in your growing region. Germination of mountain laurel seeds will begin in approximately two weeks.
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Tips & Warnings
After the mountain laurel seeds have sprouted, transfer the pots to a location that will provide eight to 10 hours of direct sunlight each day.
Mountain laurel are relatively slow-growing trees. It can take as long as two years before the saplings are large enough to transplant into their permanent location.
To clean plastic pots, fill up a basin, or 5-gallon bucket, with 2 to 3 gallons of hot water. Measure out 3 cups of bleach and pour it into the basin or bucket of hot water. Soak each of the pots for 30 minutes. Rinse off each with cool water and air dry before using.
Mountain laurel seeds are poisonous. Use caution when handling seeds.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit desert southwest image by John Keith from Fotolia.com
