How to Grow a Texas Mahogany Tree

Mountain Mahogany, also known as Silver Mountain or True Mountain Mahogany, is a nearly indestructible tree native to Texas. It is not related to the mahogany trees used for commercial purposes; it is a shrub-like member of the rose family. The tree has dark green leaves with white, wooly undersides. It fruits in the late summer. The fruits are plumed, and look like narrow silver threads or feathers. It may grow to a height of 15 feet, is extremely drought tolerant, and can survive being burned or chopped with an axe. It is sometimes used as landscaping in areas prone to drought.

Instructions

- 1
  Obtain the Mountain Mahogany plant, or its seeds. The seeds can sometimes be obtained while hiking in mountain or desert areas in the late summer or fall, but the seeds and plants can be readily purchased online.
- 2
  Sow seeds in the fall or in the spring. If you plan to sow in the spring, pretreat the seeds by soaking them eight hours in hydrogen peroxide and stratifying them for two to three months before sowing in the spring, according to the Plants of the Southwest website.
- 3
  Place larger plants in full or partial sun and be careful not to overwater them. The Mountain Mahogany is very hardy and needs little tending. It thrives in sandy, well-drained soil, though it is very adaptable. Seeds and seedlings need shade and plant litter to do well, according to the Cerrillos Hills State Park website.
- 4
  Use the Mountain Mahogany as a landscaping screen or as a clipped hedge, suggests the Denver Botanic Gardens website. The site notes that Mountain Mahogany is heat, sun and drought tolerant.

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