Texas Mountain Laurel – Plant Description

From the US Forest Service Fact Sheet:

Height: 15 to 20 feet
Spread: 10 to 12 feet
Crown uniformity: symmetrical canopy with a regular (or smooth) outline, and individuals have more
or less identical crown forms
Crown shape: round; upright
Figure 2. Shaded area represents potential planting range.
Crown density: open
Growth rate: slow
Texture: fine

Foliage
Leaf arrangement: alternate (Fig. 3)
Leaf type: odd pinnately compound
Leaflet margin: entire
Leaflet shape: elliptic (oval); obovate
Leaflet venation: banchidodrome; pinnate
Leaf type and persistence: evergreen
Leaflet blade length: less than 2 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: no fall color change
Fall characteristic: not showy

Flower
Flower color: purple
Flower characteristics: pleasant fragrance; spring flowering; very showy

Fruit
Fruit shape: elongated; pod
Fruit length: 3 to 6 inches; 1 to 3 inches
Fruit covering: dry or hard
Fruit color: red; white
Fruit characteristics: does not attract wildlife; no
significant litter problem; persistent on the tree; showy

Trunk and Branches
Trunk/bark/branches: routinely grown with, or trainable to be grown with, multiple trunks; grow mostly upright and will not droop; showy trunk; no thorns
Pruning requirement: needs little pruning to develop a strong structure
Breakage: resistant
Current year twig color: brown; green
Current year twig thickness: medium

Culture
Light requirement: tree grows in part shade/part sun; tree grows in full sun

Read the whole USFS Fact Sheet