Native Plants
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Thursday - July 05, 2012
From: Corpus Christi, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shrubs, Trees
Title: Are Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurels native to the Texas/Mexico Border?
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
I'm trying to determine whether Rhododendrons, azaleas and mountain laurel grow around the Texas/Mexican border. Are they native to this region?ANSWER:
The answer is no and yes ... sort of.
No species of Rhododendron (azaleas are all included in that genus) nor any species of Kalmia (the true Mountain Laurels) are native the the Texas/Mexico border region. Sophora secundiflora, (syn=Calia secundiflora) commonly known as Texas Mountain Laurel and also Mescal Bean is native to Texas, New Mexico and Mexico and does occur in many parts of the border area.
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