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Mountain Laurels in NTX
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jellywest



Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 2
Location: Grapevine,TEXAS

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:17 am    Post subject: Mountain Laurels in NTX  

I have recently relocated back to NTX from San Antonio and want to know how hard it is to grow Mountain Laurels in the DFW Metroplex.

I had good success with them in SA, but I dont know if they will survive in our area. they are an investment, so I dont want to waste my time and money if they wont work

if they will work, I would like to have a recommendation of where to find them

thanks
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Nadine



Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 1162
Location: Carrollton,TEXAS

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:33 pm    Post subject:  

:) Welcome to North Texas!

Unfortunately, Mountain Laurels do not do as well here. These beautiful shrubs get freeze damage in these parts.

Since you are new to the area, please allow me to recommend a book that will be very helpful to you. "Plants of the Metroplex" by J. Howard Garrett is the first book I purchased when I bought my first home. It is a fantastic resource. You can find it in your local library, but you will likely want one of your own. That way you can make notes in it and refer to it. I still refer to the copy I purchased ten years ago! :wink:

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_book.php?id=33
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mattk



Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Posts: 8
Location: ,

Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:47 am    Post subject: Mountain Laurels  

I agree with Nadine, but want to add that if you follow an organic program, you can typically get a few degrees temperature difference in "hardiness" with many plants. For Mountain Laurel, I would plant one on the South side (protected from winter winds) of the house and go for it!

There is a nice specimen out in the open at Rohde's Nursery in Garland, but I don't know what it will do if 1983 repeats itself with 10 days sustained below freezing.
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khassell



Joined: 31 Dec 1969
Posts: 4
Location: Red Oak,TEXAS

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 10:26 pm    Post subject:  

We planted a Texas Mountain Laurel in the spring of 1994 to honor the birth of our daughter, and it is thriving beautifully! It grew slowly at first, but now it is about 15 feet tall and is covered with blooms in the spring. We've even got a few seedlings growing around it!

Ours is on the south side of the house, and we have it trimmed up as a mutli-trunk tree. The only problem we've had is with caterpillars, but the birds seem to take care of them nicely. We were gardening organically long before we planted it, so I'm sure that has made the difference.

I'd certainly plant one again - in fact, I'm looking forward to relocating our seedlings soon. Go for it!!!
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