PlantFiles: Yellow Elder, Trumpetbush, Ginger-Thomas, Gold Star Esperanza
Tecoma stans 'Gold Star'

Although now I live in Ann Arbor, MI, I am from Las Vegas and have had great luck with this plant both as a nursery owner and a gardener. I've grown four different forms (five if you count "Orange Jubilee"): a Mexican seed form (grows to 15'), a Florida form from cuttings (to 10'), the Arizona native form (T. stans angustata, collected from the Santa Rita mountains) and the dwarf form from Lone Star nursery that showed up in AZ and NV nurseries a decade ago.

The Mexican form came from seed harvested by Dave Turner over 20 years ago, and every year it would shoot up to 15', bloom exuberantly during September, October and November and then lose all its leaves. The tall unbranched stems usually flushed out no problem in spring, but I found I got better flowers by leaving only a few and cutting the rest back to the ground in March.

The Florida form was a superior bloomer...individual flowers were larger and more fragrant and they were in almost spherical clusters, sometimes as much as a foot in diameter! It was not as hardy as the Mexican form, nor as drought-tolerant. It always came back, but if the winter had been particularly cold the next fall would see significantly reduced bloom (a couple of years no bloom despite good size and lush foliage!)

The AZ form was tough as nails, grew only to about 4', bloomed continuously, but the flowers were small and in clusters of only two or three, and the foliage was sparse not matter how good the conditions...in fact, overwatering or fertilization led to more lushness but no flowers.

"Gold Star", the Lone Star clone, was ultimately the most satisfying form for landscaping in Las Vegas. It had the stature and toughness of angustata (AZ form) but the lushness and floriferousness of the Florida clone. The only drawbacks I ever saw or heard about were a slight tendency to experience transplant shock from a container (from which is fully recovers) and a tendency toward seed set. However, I only ever saw a tiny number of seed pods on any Vegas plant, unlike the masses of seeds experienced by gardeners in more humid climes. If I could only have one sort, this would be it...but who says anyone has to choose?

I am in Las Vegas. Here, this gorgeous plant dies back to the bare stalks every year and the next year it magically appears again! It's the most vibrant green foliage and the 'yellowest' of yellow flowers. It is probably my favourite plant in the whole of my garden. I do not cut it back untill I see where it starts sprouting.

Within two months of planting three 1-gallon Esperanzas, two of them were already over 6', the third only lagging behind because it had been too busy making more flowers than it had leaves. By winter, all three were well over 9' and had multiple trunks. These things grow like weeds, and I'd highly recommend cutting any seed-pods you see while they're still green -- as I just spent all day pulling up sprouts from the beds around them. Can be grown either as a shrub or trained into a tree. I prefer the latter ;)

This is a true Texas superstar. I have five, and two have grown beyond nine feet tall. They grow very quickly once they are established, and they will often pop up on their own from seed. Cut the beans for continued bushiness and bloom.

These do really well here in south Texas. The ones I have seem to like a little shade, but I've also got one that gets 6-8 hours of full sun and it is doing fine. I'm currently attempting to start some cuttings from one I trimmed a bit yesterday. We'll see how that goes.

Wonderful plant. Blooms from spring to first freeze. Lots of babies sprout in bed from seed pods and the babies transplant very well. I started with one plant and now have 8 large, healthy bushes. Grows into a large shrub or can be trained into a small tree. Very drought tolerant. You can cut back each spring or allow to grow taller. Beautiful when planted in small groupings with hot pink bougainvella vining up in between them. No pests or diseases.

Gorgeous, easy care, deciduous (in my zone). Grows to a medium sized bush each season. Easy to collect seeds from.

This is one of the most rewarding plants I've ever grown, especially when considering the little effort it requires for care. Virtually pest and disease free, very drought tolerant.

Lots of these are coming up from last year's seeds around the base of my plants. I am not sure that they will be like the mother plant because it is a hybrid. I have read that it is best to start them from cuttings which I have never done. They are supposed to root very easily.

I had baught gold star tree and it is doing fine in my backyard. Needs little care and since I have planted it , there are butterflies in my yard. I have collected the dried pods. This plant is so beautiful that I want to have many of them. Can anyone tell me how to start from seeds ?

Gold Star Esperanza is an intermediate between Tecoma stans var. stans (Yellow Elder) and T. stans var. angustata (Arizona Yellow Bells). It blooms much younger than either parent, and is sold as an annual and/or container plant in many areas.