Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION General
A1 Communications
Cable Techs Health Care
Sierra Tucson
Eating Disorders Program Coordinator

Desert gardeners are willing to go with landscapes that demand little water, but they still love colorful tropical flowering plants.

Among the favorites: bougainvillea, plumbago, lantana, red bird of paradise and oleander. They may freeze back in the winter, but all have spectacular blooms, grow back rapidly in the spring and flower continually until cold weather returns.

Add to this list the showy flowering tecoma shrubs in their many variations, including Arizona yellow bells, gold star bells and orange bells.

As a group, all tecoma shrubs have bright green compound leaves and clusters of very showy trumpet-shaped orange or yellow flowers on the stem ends. Leaves resemble elderberry, and in parts of the country yellow bells are called yellow elder.

Most tecomas are native to the tropical regions of Central and South America. However, the Arizona yellow bells (Tecoma stans angustata) are actually native to the area from Arizona to Texas and adjoining Mexico.

In Arizona, all varieties grow as large as 5 to 10 feet tall. But in climates without freezing temperatures, tecomas can grow to tree size — 25 feet or more in height.

Tecoma shrubs grow with open, wide-spaced, upright stems. They're great choices for shrub borders, corner foundation plantings and patio containers when a tropical look is desired. Some of the best tecomas for Tucson include:

Gold star yellow bells

These are a special selection of Arizona yellow bells found growing in a private garden in San Antonio.

The plant is smaller and more compact than the species with even more abundant blooms. If you're looking for a showy potted plant for your sunny patio, gold star is ideal. It also tolerates heat and reflected sunlight.

Orange jubilee bells

These are a very popular orange flowering version of Arizona bells.

Their leaves are dark green and lush, with a light, feathery appearance. The orange to reddish-orange trumpet-shaped flower clusters are fragrant and abundant from May to November.

The plants are damaged when temperatures drop to the low to mid-20s, but they recover rapidly in the spring.

Cape honeysuckle

Tecoma capensis, formerly known as Tecomaria capensis, is a sprawling shrub with vine-like tendencies.

It's best grown against a wall or trellis for support. Small orange trumpet-shaped flowers are set off above attractive dense, dark-green glossy foliage. 

Although it's evergreen, the outer leaves will blacken with below-freezing temperatures.

Tecoma shrubs require full sun for optimum flowering. Although they're drought-tolerant, they look and flower best when they receive weekly watering when temperatures exceed 90 degrees.

When they're grown in containers, tecomas such as gold star need daily watering in summer heat. All the tecomas discussed will freeze back in winter. 

In cold spots or during unusually cold winters, they likely will freeze to near the ground.

Cut off freeze-damaged stems in March after all danger of frost has passed.

For maximum flowering, don't prune to shape during the flowering season. Pruning will remove the shoot tips where new flower buds develop.

Gardening

Advice by John P. Begeman