Kidneywood

Eysenhardtia texana

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Texas Kidneywood, Bee Brush, Vara Dulce, Palo Dulce

NPSOT, NTX, NLCP Level 3, Marie-Theres Herz; Herbarium Sheet

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Native Habitat: Grassland

Chihuahuan Deserts, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies

Maintenance

Prune for shape, to remove suckers or to trim up into mini-tree form.

Comments

Fast growing, much-branched shrub with open, airy foliage. Deciduous, finely divided leaves produce a pungent, citrusy smell when crushed. Flowers white, small, with a delicate fragrance. Bees love the flowers, which bloom at intervals through the warm months. May temporarily lose leaves during a dry spell. Larval Host: Dogface Butterfly.

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

8 to

15 ft

Spread

6 to

8 ft

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Caliche, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Very Low

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Forage, Nectar, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Deer, Bees

Visit us at https://npsot.org

Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Eysenhardtia angustifolia

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 289. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=EYTE. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=11058&locationType=County&mapType=Normal., 5) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014, 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=26682#null

Native Plant Society of Texas