Trumpetflower Tecoma stans
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Bignonia stans
- Stenolobium stans
- Tecoma stans var. angustatum
- Phonetic Spelling
- tek-OH-muh stanz
- Description
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The yellow trumpetbush is a broadleaf, evergreen, perennial shrub or small tree that has clusters of bright yellow trumpet-shaped flowers. It is native to the American tropics, including Florida and the Caribbean. The genus name, Tecoma, is derived from the Nahuatl name "tecomaxochitl," meaning “tubular flower.” The specific epithet means “erect, upright.”
The yellow trumpetbush blooms best in full sun. It will perform well in organic-rich and moist, well-drained soils. The shrub benefits from being allowed to dry out between waterings. The blooms may be prolonged by deadheading the spent flowers. Pruning is necessary after flowering to control the size and shape of the shrub. The plant may be propagated by seeds or soft cuttings. It is best to collect the seeds in late summer or fall when the fruit pods are no longer green. Seedlings may be easily transplanted, and they will typically bloom within 2 years. The yellow trumpetbush is heat and drought-tolerant and is moderately resistant to deer. It is winter hardy in USDA zones 10b to 11. During harsh winters, the shrub may die back. When this occurs, the shrub should be cut back to the ground. If the roots are undamaged by the cold, the plant will regrow in spring.
Yellow trumpet bush is typically 3 to 6 feet tall but can grow up to 10 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide in frost-free, optimum conditions. The leaves are odd pinnately compound with 5-13 leaflets. The flowers are bright yellow trumpet-shaped and emerge in clusters or racemes. They are very showy and mildly fragrant. The showy flowers bloom from spring until frost. In warmer climates, they may bloom all year long. The fruits are long thin green to grayish-brown capsules which are very conspicuous in the fall as they dangle from the shrub. The nectar of the flowers attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Small mammals feed on the seeds, and other mammals browse on the leaves. It is the larval host for the plebeian sphinx moth (Paratrea plebeja).
Yellow trumpetbush is frequently planted as a specimen or accent plant due to its prolonged blooming and brilliant floral display. It is also used in the landscape mixed in with other border shrubs, patios or containers.
Quick ID Hints:
- Opposite, odd pinnately compound leaves with 5-13 leaflets
- Leaflets are medium to olive green, elliptic to lanceolate with serrated margins
- Showy bright yellow trumpet-shaped flowers with pale red veins inside the tube
- Green to grayish-brown elongated fruit capsules
Insects, Diseases, and Other Problems: The yellow trumpetbush has no serious disease or insect problems. Scale and chewing insects may be spotted. Spider mites and whiteflies may occur in plants that are maintained indoors.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Gold Star'
Golden yellow trumpet-shaped flowers, dark green glossy leaves
- 'Gold Star'
- 'Gold Star'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Gold Star'
Golden yellow trumpet-shaped flowers, dark green glossy leaves
- 'Gold Star'
- 'Gold Star'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Tecoma
- Species:
- stans
- Family:
- Bignoniaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native Americans in the southwest U.S. and Mexico used the shrub for bowmaking, bee fodder, and medicines. The roots were brewed to make a native beer.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Tropical and Subtropical Americas, and West Indies
- Distribution:
- Native: Central America, South America as far as northern Argentina, United States--AZ, FL, NM, and TX, and the West Indies
- Wildlife Value:
- Bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators nectar at the flowers. It is the larval host the Plebeian sphinx (Paratrea plebeja). Small mammals eat the seeds and leaves.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Colorful
- Easy to Grow
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- After flowering, a long thin capsule forms that measure 4 to 10 inches long. Initially, they are green and then become grayish-brown as they mature. The capsule contains multiple small papery seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Long Bloom Season
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- The flowers are bright yellow, showy, and trumpet-shaped. They are about 2 inches long and have a few pale red veins inside the tube. The flowers are arranged in clusters or racemes and are mildly fragrant. They bloom from spring to frost. In some tropical areas, they may bloom all year long.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are odd-pinnately compound with 5 to 13 leaflets. The leaflet is lanceolate to elliptic, 1.5 to 5 inches long, 1-2 inches wide, and medium to olive green. The leaf arrangement is opposite, and the margins are serrated.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Fissured
- Lenticels
- Bark Description:
- The bark is light gray to brown. The bark has white lenticels when the shrub is young. As the shrub ages, the bark becomes fissured.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- The twigs are thin and green. They turn reddish-brown as the shrub ages. The branches tend to droop and have no thorns. The shrub is multi-trunked.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Patio
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Border
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Heat