Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The Bells Of Summer

Tecoma stans Yellow Bells

Yellow Bells is a great shrub for USDA Zones 8-11. It is a popular Arizona landscape starter shrub with new homeowners. It is fast growing, heat resistant, and blooms from spring to late fall, with a break during the periods of extreme Arizona heat. It is supposed to be hardy to 10°F, but it did freeze to the ground during our 2006 cold snap. Even after hard freezes, it quickly comes back in very early spring and can reach six feet high in one season. Many local homeowners train this shrub into a beautiful small tree. It reaches about 12 feet high with a spread of about six feet. It produces a moderate amount of dried flower litter, along with long bean pods that dry and drop in early summer.

This shrub is also called Yellow Trumpet Flower, Esperanza, and Yellow Elder.

Tecoma 'Orange Jubilee'

Tecoma 'Orange Jubilee' is actually more popular in Arizona than Yellow Bells. It is a hybrid of Tecoma stans and Tecoma alata, and it's larger than Yellow Bells. It too can be trained into a small tree, but most folks leave it in its natural shape. It can grow to 12 feet tall in one season, and if there's no frost, heights of 15 feet are possible. Just as Yellow Bells, it has a moderate amount of litter. It blooms all year, even in the intense heat of summer.

This is not a shrub for small gardens. It has a spread of about six to eight feet. Like Yellow Bells, it needs little water once established. Tecoma 'Orange Jubilee' is also sold as Tecoma 'Burnt Out', or Orange Bells.

7 comments:

Claude said...

I love esperanza... but I have a small yard. They will grow here, but they freeze to the ground every year, and have to be mulched heavily to survive the winter.

Still, I wonder if I couldn't find someplace to squeeze one in...

Pudgeduck said...

I just planted the orange jubilee the season. I hope I have the room for it- thought it would be the same size as the yellow-guess I should check closer.Your blooms are fantastic!

Julie said...

These are really gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

How beautiful! I'm really diggin' on orange right now. I wish I had the space for them.

Susan said...

This is such a beautiful plant! I'm buying one for myself and one for my mom. Do you have a favorite place to buy your plants? Did you use organic products such as bone meal when you planted your Orange Jubilee? Your photography would make anyone want to go outside and dig a hole!
Thank you for this beautiful blog.

Susan

Anonymous said...

WHERE CAN I BUY TECOMA ORANGE JUBILEE PLANTS IN NORTHEAST PHOENIX?

Aiyana said...

Try Baker's Nursery at 3414 N. 40th St. Phoenix, or Whitfill at 824 East Glendale Avenue in Phoenix. Orange Bell is a commonly used plant and can be located at most any nursery in the Valley.
Aiyana