Cool Mountain Laurel is an evergreen shrub with aromatic violet flowers. New leaves and stems appear hairy while mature leaves and stems are smooth.
Branches grow upward in a slender canopy and can reach thirty-five feet in height.
It grows in limestone soils of the South Texas Plains and Edwards Plateau. Its flowers bloom from March to April and provide food for insects. The red seeds are extremely hard and are poisonous when eaten. It is commonly used as a landscaping plant. Therehas been mixed success controlling mountian laurel with herbicides .