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Handroanthus chrysotrichus (Golden Trumpet Tree) - A beautiful medium-sized round-headed semi-deciduous tree to 25 feet with palmately-parted olive-green leaves that have golden tomentose on the underneath side. Spectacular mid-spring 3- to 4-inch-long golden yellow trumpet flowers appear while trees are leafless or just emerging in the spring.
Plant in full sun and looks best with occasional to regular watering in warm months, though we have noted that plants flower best when not getting regular irrigation. Tolerates temperatures into mid 20s° F. A very attractive garden tree.
Handroanthus chrysotrichus is native to the southeastern coast of Brazil. The genus name comes from a combination of 'Handro', for a 20th century Brazilian botanist Oswaldo Handro and 'anthos' from Latin for flower and the specific epithet combines the Latin words 'chrysos' meaning "gold" and 'thrix' meaning "hair" meaning golden-haired in reference to the gold colored fuzzy hairs on the undersides of the leaves and on the flower calyces. In Brazil it is called Ipê-Amarelo and in 1961 it was named by presidential degree as the National Flower of Brazil, an honor it shares with the Corsage Orchid, Cattleya labiate.
This plant has long been included in the genus Tabebuia as Tabebuia chrysotricha but in 2007 studies on the genus Tabebuia determined it to be polyphyletic (because as it has stood it includes Crescentia, Spirotecoma, and Ekmanianthe) with the solution being to split some members of the genus, including the two species commonly grown in California, into the new genus Handroanthus. Plants so separated can be distinguished from true Tabebuia based on the fact that they all have minute hairs on the leaves and flowers. Because of this, Tabebuia chrysotricha becomes Handroanthus chrysotrichus, and Tabebuia impetiginosa becomes Handroanthus impetiginosus.
The information displayed on this page about Handroanthus chrysotrichus is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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