Perennial · North Texas care guide
Tecoma stans
Nursery Pro tip: Yellow bells all summer; dies back in winter and comes roaring back in May.
Yellow bells — clusters of golden trumpets all summer on a fast tropical-looking shrub that dies back in winter and returns from the roots. 'Gold Star' is the reliable selection here. 3–6 ft in one season, covered in bloom, and hummingbirds work it daily.
Full sun and heat; any drained soil. The hotter the spot, the happier. Space 3 ft apart, or grow it in a big pot on the patio.
Spring after the soil warms. Hole twice the pot width, ball at grade, native soil, Root Stimulator, mulch. A deep mulch layer over the crown in November helps it survive winter.
Weekly the first summer, then every week or two; pots need much more.
A spring feeding and a bloom fertilizer midsummer.
Snap off the bean-like seed pods to keep it blooming. Leave the top growth as winter protection, cut to the ground in late February.
Marginal winter hardiness — in a bad freeze it can be lost, so mulch deeply and be patient; it often doesn't show until May. Root rot in wet soil.
Hot-color beds with pride of Barbados, lantana, salvia and plumbago. Yellow and blue together (esperanza and plumbago) is a Texas classic.
Written for Rockwall's black clay, heat and winters by the Landscape Source team. Every yard is different — bring a photo by, or ask LS-Ai, and we'll tailor it to your spot.