On (20 Apr 98) Art Kopp wrote to Kent Anderson...
 AK> Don't mean to interupt your disscussion but a few years ago I tried to
 AK> cultivate Mt Laurel from seeds. I was on a hunting trip in Penna. when
 AK> I collecte
 AK> thought were seed pods. I tried to germinate them in potting soil in
 AK> the house with little luck. The Laurels they sell in the local
 AK> nurseries around here just aren't the same as the stuff that grows
 AK> wild. I would love to have some of this growing on the property but
 AK> need to be careful as it is the State flower and it is illegal to pick
 AK> or dig it up. How can I get some going in my yard areas?
Art,
The mountain laurel of which you speak is totally different from the
one we were discussing. It won't grow in Texas - too hot. I have grown
the Texas mountain Laurel from seeds using this method:
File a deep notch in the outer hull of the seeds. (it looks much like
a very hard and very red hazel nut) Soak them over night in a bowl or
glass of lukewarm water. Plant one per pot, 1/2" deep, in a mixture of
sand and potting soil. Keep moist but not wet. This variety may take
three or four weeks to germinate.  Pot up as the roots fill the pot
until the plant reaches a heighth of 10" to 12", at which time, place
them in what will be their permanent location.
Last time I was in Pennsylvania was in early spring, and the mountain
laurels, other flowering trees and rhodendrons were blooming everwhere.
Very pretty country side west of Philadelphia.
Good luck.
Kent,
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