Golden trumpet tree

Golden trumpet tree is a fast-growing tropical tree known for brilliant yellow flowers that open in spring after the foliage drops. The accepted subspecies ranges from Mexico to Peru and Trinidad-Tobago. [UF/IFAS](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/trees/trumpet-tree/) gives the cultivated tree’s colour, flowering season, size, and South Florida use, while [Kew’s taxonomic record](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/77170244-1) confirms the accepted subspecies and native range. ## Form and placement Allow roughly 25–35 feet for both height and spread. The tree is deciduous, so flowering occurs on a largely bare crown before new foliage develops. Use it as an ornamental specimen in a warm landscape with enough open space for its broad canopy. UF/IFAS recommends full sun for trumpet trees in Central and South Florida; [ITESO’s botanical garden record](https://bosque.iteso.mx/web/general/detalle?group_id=19307352) for the related Tabebuia chrysantha also recommends direct sun and well-drained soil. ## Seasonal display The vivid yellow spring flowers create a brief, high-contrast display when many deciduous trees are leafless. The palmately compound leaves return after flowering. This is a warm-climate ornamental; cold tolerance varies among trumpet-tree species, so use local guidance when growing outside established tropical and subtropical regions. ## Maintenance Give the canopy room to develop and maintain drainage around the roots. Water during establishment and extended dry weather, then adjust to local rainfall and soil. Protect young trees from cold exposure where freezes occur, and avoid confusing this species with other pink- or yellow-flowered Handroanthus trees whose size and hardiness differ.