| Tecoma stans | ||||||||||||||
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| Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth |
The perennial shrub Tecoma stans is known by the common names yellow trumpetbush, yellow elder, ginger-thomas and yellow bells in English and geelklokkies in Afrikaans. It has many Spanish names as well, including esperanza, which is Spanish for "hope." It is native to South and Central America, as well as Mexico and the southwestern United States. It has been introduced to several other regions, including southern Africa and Hawaii. Tecoma stans is an attractive plant which is cultivated as an ornamental. It has sharply-toothed, lance-shaped green leaves and bears large, showy, bright golden yellow trumpet-shaped flowers. It is drought-tolerant and grows well in warm climates. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The plant produces pods containing yellow seeds with papery wings. The plant is desirable fodder when it grows in fields grazed by livestock. The leaves and roots of the plant contain bioactive compounds, especially monoterpenes, which may have medicinal uses. The plant has invasive potential and occasionally becomes a noxious weed. It readily colonizes disturbed, rocky, sandy, and cleared land. It has become a nuisance on several Pacific islands, especially in French Polynesia, where it is called piti. Tecoma stans is the official flower of the United States Virgin Islands This flower can also be found in the Philipines.
