Floravie Friday: PLANT SPOTLIGHT

Tabebuia heterophylla/aurea >> Trumpet Tree

Has anyone been seeing some incredibly vibrant pink and yellow flowering trees around Central Florida lately? What you’ve been seeing is commonly referred to as a Trumpet Tree or more formally Tabebuia. And it’s one of our faves.

There are over 100 varieties of Trumpet Trees but we’re going to cover the two most popular found in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 11 (aka Florida). These two flowering beauties are in the Tabebuia species and the most common varieties around here are Tabebuia aurea (yellow) and Tabebuia heterophylla (pink). While some folks might not find botanical names very exciting, we are super plant nerds and find it important.

The Tabebuia trees are easy to look past for most of the year, they just kind of blend in to the rest of the landscape. Then, anywhere between late January to late February you might start seeing little bits of pink and yellow. Seemingly overnight these trees EXPLODE with color. We are blessed with their beauty for three or four weeks before their cycle starts over. I equate their beauty with that of the the cherry blossoms. They are striking.

Yellow Tabebuias are generally smaller than the Pink Tabs. Yellow Tabs generally max out at a height of 20-25’ tall with a spread of up to 15’. They are great for small spaces, under powerlines, or anywhere else with site challenges. Pink Tabs are a slightly bigger coming in a height between 20-30’ and a spread of up to 25’. They are generally more broad where the Yellow Tabs will stay more narrow. Both varieties do drop leaves, flowers, and seed pods so keep that in mind when locating them. They might not be the best trees for over your open pool but would be great tucked into the landscape where their droppings will not be a nuisance.

Tabebuia trees are resilient, reliable, and beautiful. It brightens our day to see the brilliant colors and we look forward to this time of year every year. To bring color to our Tab the rest of the year, we have taken to hanging orchids in it once we are done enjoying the orchid blooms inside. Peep the bloom we have currently hanging in our Tab! (Tab is the cool thing to say, by the way)

Contact us to learn more and see how you can fit one of these gorgeous babies in your yard!