Family: Bignoniaceae
Common names: Silver trumpet tree, Caribbean trumpet tree, Yellow Tabebuia, Tree of gold, Silver Tabebuia, Paraguayan silver trumpet tree, Yellow trumpet tree
Silver trumpet tree is a small, beautiful tropical tree, popular for its silver-green foliage and yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers. They’re native to South America, but can grow in most tropical and subtropical countries around the world.
Tree Characteristics
Silver trumpet trees are relatively small, growing to a height of 6 to 8 m, with unevenly branched stems. The trunk is dark brown, fissured, and crooked with bulges, bends, and twists at odd angles.
Leaves are the reason for the tree being named Silver Trumpet Tree since they are silver-green in color. Leaves are palmately compound, each leaf having 5 to 7 narrow leaflets. These leaflets are 12-18 cm long, with a distinct silver hue on both the upper and lower surfaces.
The flowers of the silver trumpet tree are bright yellow in color, about 5 to 6 cm in diameter, and grow in large bunches. These flowers are trumpet-shaped with a tubular base and five distinct papery yellow petals, blooming abundantly during spring and summer.
Flowers are very similar to those of Tabebuia rosea or Pink Trumpet Tree, both excellent avenue trees blooming abundantly during spring. After pollination, the flowers produce slender fruit pods that are about 10 cm long having multiple seeds inside.
Gardening Tips
Silver trumpet trees can be grown in home gardens, parks, or urban landscape areas very successfully since they have thick foliage and beautiful bright yellow flowers. They need bright direct sunlight and humid, tropical weather.
Watering and fertilization is needed when the plants are small, but they’re reasonably self-sufficient after they’re established in the soil.
The tree is resistant to pests, and hence does not need regular pesticide application. Since the silver trumpet trees do not have a rounded crown, it is good to prune them to ensure symmetrical growth.
They are very closely related to Tabebuia rosea or the Rosy Trumpet Tree, which is famous in Bangalore during its flowering season when hundreds of trees bloom simultaneously, similar to the Japanese cherry blossom blooming.
Unfortunately, this tree was not in bloom when I photographed it. Will update the page with photo of the flowers very soon:)
Uses of Silver Trumpet Tree
Silver trumpet trees are mostly grown as ornamentals in home gardens and roadsides because they provide abundant shelter and shaded for humans and other small animals.
The wood is reasonably strong and is used for making small implements like tool handles, frames, and small-scale construction. No part of the tree is edible, and they are also not known for any medicinal uses.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds, stem cuttings, and grafting.
Mature seeds collected from the parent plant can be soaked in water for a day before they are planted in moist soil to germinate.
Grafting of the stem of a plant onto viable route stock can produce new plants quicker while retaining the characteristics of the parent plants.
Photographed at: Vasanthnagar, Bangalore
