The Genus Tecoma
Esperanza
Family: Bignoniaceae
You may also know these plants as yellow bells, or orange bells. The spanish word, esperanza, which means hope, is assigned to these plants. We don’t know the story behind how they got that name, but if you are driving around town in June or July and the temperature is like well over 100°F, most other plants will be struggling, while esperanza plants are blooming and growing with no challenge—enough of a performance to give anyone hope.
There are many hybrids and selections of this plant, plus the knock-off mimics of the trademarked plants. We’ll feature the well known varieties here. There are 7 accepted species of Tecoma, but most of the selections and hybrids come from either Tecoma stans (the yellow bells or esperanza plant), or T. fulva (the orange bells or esperanza plant).
No matter the color, these plants are great wildlife plants, providing nectar for various pollinators, especially hummingbirds, and are a larval host to some moths.
Tortoises love the leaves and flowers of this plant.
The origin of the name tecoma comes from the Nahuatl word for these plants, tecomaxochitl, which basically means “floral arrangement”.
Photo of Tecoma stans var. angustata by Sue Carnahan, SEINET
Medicinal use of Tecoma species include treating diabetes, digestive problems, treat stomach pains, and used as a diuretic. Extracts from Tecoma stans leaves have been found to inhibit the growth of the yeast infection, Candida albicans. Surprisingly, in places like Pakistan where Tecoma species are invasive, the species turns out to be a very potent anti-venom against cobra venom, used by Pakistani old medicine (it is proved to be better than antiserum)—the paste of this plant's leaves are applied topically on the cobra bite. Its bio-chemicals bind with the cobra venom enzymes thus effectively inhibiting the venom. In many places in the world where these plants have naturalized, they have become medicine for local people.
In Mexico, the roots of this plant are used to prepare a type of beer.
The tecoma leaf tier moth (Antigastra catalaunalis) will often show up as caterpillars in warm weather, eating the tips of the plants. People often think the plants have spider mites, with the webbing and little black dots—the webbing is made to protect the caterpillars, and the black dots are the caterpillar frass (their poop).
Tecoma plants immediately recover from hosting such larvae, and there is little you can do to prevent it. We remind you that this is a native moth, and hosting wild species on your landscapes should be a privilege not a burden. Plants often re-emerge looking even better than before after hosting such larvae. What is more, the caterpillars poop all around the plant, which is like fertilizer.
Tecoma fulva
Orange Esperanza
I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing the un-hybridized species. The famous hybrid plant “Orange jubilee” (featured below) used this species to obtain the orange flowers, but it has not been made available on its own.
Specifically, it was Tecoma fulva subsp. garrocha that has been used to much to create many of the various hybrids (there are several subspecies of this plant). This species is also sometimes referred to as Tecoma alata.
It is frustrating to look online for information about this species, as many novices post information, and they are often very confused. I’ve seen people confuse some related but distinct vining species in this family, like Tecomaria capensis (cape honeysuckle, an African species).
This plant is an evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub that blooms in warm weather with slender orange flowers, followed by legume-like seed pods with flat hairy seeds. They can grow about 10-12’ tall.
The plants are evergreen unless they experience frost. They will freeze to the ground, but immediately regrow. The hybrids have more tolerance to cold than the regular species, but still get damaged in the mid to upper 20s°F. Plants are root hardy to 10°F. Once plants are established, they tolerate moderate to low water, and look their best in the hottest, sunniest spots, even reflective heat.
This species is native to northwest Argentina, Bolivia, Chile North, and Peru usually along dry river beds but some subspecies reaching into forests.
Tecoms is derived from Nahuatl “tecomaxochitl” the indigenous word for this plant, fulva, refers to the wild species’ flower color: a brownish-red color.
Tecoma stans
Yellow Esperanza
This species is easier to understand because it is native in our region. At least a variety of the species is.
These are large evergreen or semi-evergreen shrubs reaching about 10+ feet tall. They bloom in warm weather with yellow bell-shaped flowers followed by legume-like seed pods with flat hairy seeds.
Our native variety has slimmer leaflets than the more southerly variety (Tecoma stans var. stans). Both are readily available on the market, though in nurseries that get their products from other larger growers it will be Tecoma stans var. stans that will be most available. Tecoma stans var. angustata is mostly often found at nurseries that specialize in native plants.
Plant in full, even reflective heat, they love it. Plants take moderate to low water when established. Some frost damage occurs in the mid 20s°F, but plants grow back quickly afterward. Plants are root hardy to 10·F (var. angustata will go down to 0°F).
Tecoma stans is native to the Americas. It extends from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America, and the Antilles to northern Venezuela, and through the Andes mountain range to northern Argentina. Our variety T. stans var. angustata is native from Arizona to Texas and into central Mexico, often in canyons, cliffs, roadsides in full sun, in grasslands, and oak woodlands, from 3,000-5,000’.
Tecoms is derived from Nahuatl “tecomaxochitl” the indigenous word for this plant, while stans means upright or erect. Angustata is derived from angustatus meaning narrow, referring to the more narrow leaflets of that variety.
Photo of Tecoma stans var. angustata by Sue Carnahan, SEINET
Tecoma stans var. angustata, the native plant which grows 10-12' tall, Photo by Bridget McCall, iNaturalist
Tecoma stans var. stans (sometimes called things like 'Gold Star'. Grows 10-12' tall. Photo by josebatista, iNaturalist
Sierra Apricot, only grows 3' tall. Photo by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery
Solar Flare, grow to 6' tall. Photo by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery
The classic "Orange Jubilee", which grows to 12' tall. Photo by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery
Crimson Flare, grows to 8' tall. Photo by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery
Sunrise, grows to 8' tall. Photo by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery