Allamanda cathartica: Golden trumpet

Family: Apocynaceae
Common name: Golden trumpet, Yellow allamanda, Common trumpetvine

Allamanda’s showy yellow flowers are just what you need to give your garden a lift. This sturdy shrub with glossy, leather leaves bloom profusely in summer, and moderately throughout the year. The flowers are deep yellow and trumpet-like, as the name says. They have 5 petals fused together at the base to form a long corolla tube. The flowers are produced in bunches, each bunch having between 2-10 flowers.

Yellow Allamanda belongs to the family Apocynaceae, all of which have a toxic sap in their stems and leaves, same as Plumeria, Nerium or Vinca. There are many variants of Allamanda, the most common ones being pink Allamanada or Allamanda Blanchetii.

Yellow Allamanda plants grow to about 2-3 feet. Left unpruned and with a support to climb, these plants can reach a maximum height of 20 feet. They can be pruned into desired shapes without too much trouble. They do produce spiny fruits and small flat seeds, but they are rarely seen in garden plants.

They are considered invasive weeds in some parts of the world, growing along streams and wastelands. The plants have some medicinal properties and is used to cure skin ailments according to traditional medicine.

Propagation is from seeds or stem cuttings.

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