Texas mountain laurels in bloom in San Antonio. Photo: Megan Stringer/Axios
👋 Megan here. I've been enjoying the Texas mountain laurels in my neighborhood while they last.
Zoom in: The purple, grape-scented flowers on this tree only bloom for a couple of weeks in the spring. Some say they smell like grape soda or Kool-Aid.
It's a drought-tolerant native plant that doesn't require much maintenance once it's established.
Fun fact: The tree's red beans are poisonous to eat, but that doesn't stop kids from playing with them.
The bottom line: The fact that the blooms are so brief is an even stronger reason to stop and smell the flowers this time of year. They're a defining moment of a San Antonio spring.
