Golden Trumpet Tree

Golden Trumpet Tree (Handroanthus chrysanthus, long sold as Tabebuia chrysantha) delivers the most theatrical yellow flowering a warm climate garden can stage. The tree drops its leaves briefly, then covers every bare branch in golden trumpet flowers, a display that stops traffic in the older streets of the subtropics. It matures at about 8m tall and 5m wide, a proper shade tree the rest of the year.

Why you'll love it

• A flowering event, not just a flowering. Because the display opens on briefly bare branches, the gold shows against sky rather than hiding in foliage.
• Feature and shade in one tree. At 8m by 5m it earns a front garden position, then throws real summer shade over lawn or driveway.
• Comfortable in hard weather. Heat, drought and wind all sit within its tolerances once it is established.
• Bees and butterflies arrive with the flowers. The mass bloom is a nectar feast at the tail of winter.
• Low maintenance as it matures. Beyond early shaping and establishment watering, it asks very little.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Give it the position where the display can be seen from the street or the living room window. One tree carries the moment; it does not need company.

Shade tree. The broad crown shades a sitting area or northern window without the aggressive roots of the fig family giants.

Driveways and avenues. For a repeated planting, space trees about 6m apart so the mature crowns just meet.

Coastal gardens. Wind tolerance makes it a better coastal feature tree than most of the big spring flowerers.

Growing Golden Trumpet Tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun in a tropical, subtropical or warm temperate garden. It takes light frost only once established, so in cool temperate districts the winters are simply too cold; this is a tree for the warm half of the country.

Soil. Free draining soil of most types. Work compost through the planting area and mulch well, keeping mulch clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, then only in extended dry spells. Feed with a slow release fertiliser each spring while the tree is young.

Pruning. Shape in the first few years to a single clean trunk and balanced crown, then leave it alone apart from removing damaged wood after storms.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Golden Trumpet Tree as advanced stock only, in 45L, 100L and 200L sizes, so what arrives is a genuine tree with height, a formed trunk and a head start of several years. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect the tree to spend its first season building roots rather than height, with the flowering settling into an annual rhythm within a couple of years.

Delivered Australia wide, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Feature trees that lift a front garden
• Browse all flowering trees
• Compare our feature trees
• More advanced trees ready to plant

Common questions

When does it flower?

Typically at the end of winter or in early spring, with timing shifting a little by district and season. The leaf drop just before flowering is the cue that the display is coming.

Will it grow in Sydney or Melbourne?

Sydney and similar warm temperate gardens, yes, in a sunny sheltered position. Melbourne and cool temperate districts, no; it takes light frost only and cold winters stop it performing.

Is the leaf drop messy?

It is brief and worth it. The tree stands bare for a short period before the flowers open, then re-leafs for the rest of the year, so it never behaves like a true deciduous tree through a long winter.

Why do you only sell large sizes?

Because the display is the point, and an advanced 45L to 200L tree flowers reliably years sooner than a seedling. You are buying the spectacle, not the wait.