shrub
Texas mountain laurel
Dermatophyllum secundiflorum
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 8–10, Texas mountain laurel is a slow-growing evergreen shrub. Expect 10–15 ft of height and 8–10 ft of spread; our lists space it 8 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part sun with little water once established. Expect purple flowers in March to April. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the anchor role: the one larger plant that anchors the back of a bigger bed. It is native to Texas and the South-Central states and the Desert Southwest. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf and the Pacific Northwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Dermatophyllum secundiflorum
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Needs good drainage; thrives in rocky, alkaline soil.
- Mature size
- 10–15 ft tall × 8–10 ft wide
- Spacing
- 8 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Mar–Apr · purple
- Roles in a bed
- Anchor, Structure
- Styles
- low water, natural
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Toxic to dogs and cats. Seeds and leaves are highly toxic (cytisine); keep seed pods away from pets and children.
- Native to
- South-Central and Desert Southwest
- Pot size and price
- 5-gallon pot, typically $40–$70 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
- Pruning
- Needs little pruning; remove seed pods if pets or children are around.
Sources: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center native plant database; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Texas A&M AgriLife deer-resistant landscape plant lists; state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Texas mountain laurel, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Autumn sageSalvia greggiishrub · zones 7–11
- Lily of the NileAgapanthus africanusperennial · zones 9–10
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Texas sage (Texas ranger)Leucophyllum frutescensshrub · zones 8–10
- Blackfoot daisyMelampodium leucanthumperennial · zones 5–10
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthaperennial · zones 8–11
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Texas mountain laurel: same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants