Mountain Laurels grow well here at the edge of the Hill Country. These examples were in full bloom last Sunday at the Arboretum. (The Arboretum isn't a real arboretum as in a place to plant and study trees but a shopping mall that was all the rage a couple of decades ago. It still houses a giant Barnes and Noble so we find ourselves there now and then.) Apparently only in Texas do we call this small flowering tree the Mountain Laurel. According to Wikipedia it is actually the Texas Mescalbean! Or scientifically Calia secundiflora. Trust me, though. In Central Texas most people call it the Mountain Laurel. They are heavily in bloom now and if you come anywhere near them they fill the air with an over-the-top odor like grapes or a grape confection.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Smells like Spring
Mountain Laurels grow well here at the edge of the Hill Country. These examples were in full bloom last Sunday at the Arboretum. (The Arboretum isn't a real arboretum as in a place to plant and study trees but a shopping mall that was all the rage a couple of decades ago. It still houses a giant Barnes and Noble so we find ourselves there now and then.) Apparently only in Texas do we call this small flowering tree the Mountain Laurel. According to Wikipedia it is actually the Texas Mescalbean! Or scientifically Calia secundiflora. Trust me, though. In Central Texas most people call it the Mountain Laurel. They are heavily in bloom now and if you come anywhere near them they fill the air with an over-the-top odor like grapes or a grape confection.
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Looks a lot like Lilacs
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