Hitting the high notes
Covered in bell-shaped flowers, a trumpet tree is spectacular in spring
My first encounter with a trumpet tree was in Brisbane, where I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of a tree smothered in large golden blooms. I assumed that it needed quite warm conditions to grow, but a few years later in Sydney, a splash of yellow caught my eye and, sure enough, there was a young trumpet tree happily in bloom. So why aren’t they grown more widely? I have no idea, but let me entice you to grow one yourself.
Trumpet trees are a group of trees that once all belonged to the genus Tabebuia, but some of them have been moved to the Handroanthus and Roseodendron genera, just to keep us on our toes. They come from tropical and subtropical zones in the Americas, and can be either evergreen or briefly deciduous. Most are small-growing, and therefore make ideal street trees, or shade trees for urban backyards.
In spring, they’re admired for the tubular or bell-shaped flowers that cluster on the ends of their branches and usually cover the entire tree. Yellow and pink are the most commonly seen colours, but white and magenta-red forms are also available.
growing & care
Trumpet trees prefer growing in rich, fertile soil that drains well, so dig in compost and manures before planting to ensure a good start. When young, apply an organic fertiliser several times a year to push your tree along faster, then reduce this once it’s established.
Choose a position for your tree that receives full sun and, if possible, is protected from strong winds. The last thing you want is all those gorgeous flowers being blown off prematurely!
New trees can be watered to help them establish, but they don’t require ongoing watering in tropical and subtropical areas. They soak up the rain during the summer wet season, putting on growth, then turn dormant during the winter dry season. In fact, flowering is usually better when the tree has gone through a particularly dry winter. However, additional watering is beneficial for trees growing in a region that doesn’t receive summer rain.
Trumpet trees naturally produce a lovely shape that doesn’t need pruning, and are usually pest and disease free, so all your energy can go into admiring their blooms.
coping with cold
Although trumpet trees originate in very warm climates, they can be established in cooler zones with a little extra care. Grow your tree in a spot that’s sunny in winter and sheltered from cold winds. When it’s young, put a shadecloth guard around the tree to keep frosts at bay. As the tree gets taller and the trunk matures, frost damage becomes less of an issue. As a rough guide, if jacarandas flourish in your area, it is worth trying to grow a trumpet tree.