From the US Forest Service Fact Sheet:
Texas-Mountain-Laurel is a small North American native evergreen, growing 15 to 25 feet tall with a 10-foot-spread but is capable of reaching up to 50 feet tall in its native habitat (Fig. 1). It has a narrow upright silhouette and dense foliage which lends itself well to being pruned into a tree form. Texas-Mountain-Laurel can be used as a specimen, patio, or street tree and is ideal for use as a screen, bank cover, or an espalier.
The two-inch-long, dark green leaves are glossy, thick, and leathery. In spring, Texas-Mountain-Laurel is a beautiful sight as it displays its dense, two to fiveinch-long, pendulous clusters of purple/blue, extremely fragrant flowers. Every so often, a white-flowered form can be found. The hairy seedpods which follow are eight inches long and ripen to reveal the inner, bright red seeds. These seeds are quite decorative and have been used to make necklaces but they are also poisonous. The fissured bark is dark gray to black.