Native & adapted

Yellow bells

Tecoma stans var. angustata

Also known as Arizona yellow bells · Yellow elder · Tecoma

Fast, heat-loving native shrub with yellow trumpet flowers that can grow as an informal screen, dense hedge, or small multi-trunk tree.

Sonoran nativeArid adaptedPollinatorHummingbirdThornless

Landscape layersUnderstory · Hedging

Mature size

8–15 ft tall × 8–12 ft wide; smaller with selective pruning

Climate fit

Urban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b

Special categories

SONORAN DESERT NATIVE · ARID ADAPTED · POLLINATOR ATTRACTING

Hardiness guidance

Best in USDA zones 9b–11; top growth may freeze near 25°F and rebound in spring.

Before you plant

These conditions determine whether it will thrive.

Cold hardiness

Cover in a hard freeze below 25°F

Top growth freezes around 25°F, then it regrows fast in spring. Cover it or plant against a south wall if a hard freeze is forecast, or just cut back the damage in March.

Leaves and wood: damaged below 25°F

Heat tolerance

Takes full sun and heat

Thrives in the hottest, sunniest spots, including full west sun. Blooms best with lots of heat.

Sources:

amwua.org , desertmuseum.org

Right plant, right place

Will Yellow bells grow at your Arizona property?

Use the Arizona narrow-leaf form for the strongest regional fit. Give it room to grow naturally along warm walls, habitat edges, and privacy screens.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Sun exposure

Full sun, including reflected heat; flowering is strongest with abundant light.

Water

Irrigation

Low once established. Weekly deep watering during extreme summer heat can extend flowering and support dense growth.

Harvest

How to use it

Not considered edible; its long flowering season is valuable to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Choose the actual plant, not only the label

Cultivars & selections

Tecoma labels are often loose. Confirm whether a plant is the narrow-leaved Arizona native form, a tropical form, or a hybrid, because cold tolerance, size, flower color, and ecological value differ.

Arizona yellow bells

Tecoma stans var. angustata

Mature size6–12 ft tall × 6–10 ft wide

Best forNative habitat, heat, and informal screening

Narrow leaves, golden flowers, and stronger regional fit than tropical forms. It may freeze back during hard winters and regrow rapidly.

Orange Jubilee

Tecoma hybrid ‘Orange Jubilee’

Mature size8–12 ft tall × 8–10 ft wide

Best forLong-season orange flowers and a large screen

Fast hybrid ornamental rather than Sonoran native. It flowers heavily with summer irrigation and needs enough room to avoid constant shearing.

Bells of Fire

Tecoma hybrid ‘Bells of Fire’

Mature size4–6 ft tall × 4–6 ft wide

Best forCompact spaces and orange-red flowers

A smaller selection for courtyards and foreground masses where full-sized Tecoma would overwhelm the space.

Sparky

Tecoma hybrid ‘Sparky’

Mature size5–8 ft tall × 5–8 ft wide

Best forYellow-and-maroon flowers and compact screening

An Arizona-selected hybrid with distinctive two-tone flowers; treat it as an ornamental cultivar rather than the native narrow-leaf form.

Planting & stewardship

How to help Yellow bells thrive

1
Select the Arizona native form rather than relying only on an ornamental hybrid name.
2
Water deeply through establishment, then reduce frequency while monitoring flowering and leaf stress.
3
Prune selectively after cold damage or to preserve a multi-trunk form; avoid constant shearing.
4
Leave enough open flowering growth for pollinators and hummingbirds to reach the blooms.

Read the horticultural reference ↗