A large mounding evergreen shrub that quickly grows 10-15 ft. tall, and that can eventually grow into a small tree to 25 ft. high. Bright green pinnately divided leaves have 5-7 leaflets with coarsely toothed margins. Showy bright yellow trumpet-shaped flowers occur in large clusters during spring and intermittently through summer. Long cylindrical seed pods become conspicuous during the summer.
Yellow bells is native to subtropical climate zones throughout Central and South America. Hardy to 28°F, it is easily damaged by frost, but recovers quickly during the spring flowering season. It grows best in well-drained soils with regular water through late spring to sustain robust growth and heavy flowering; pruning longer stems after the flowering cycle helps maintain good size and denser character. One cultivar, Tecoma stans var. stans ‘Gold Star’ is a mounding shrub to 10 ft. tall that has larger leaves and flowers for a very lush and colorful display.
